Something to You
by Buckets Full O' Sunshine
Summary: 'I took one look at you, that's all I meant to do, and my heart stood still'. The moment Son Gohan walked into Videl's life, she knew he was something special. Her world quickly spins out of epic proportions, arousing strange new feelings she has never felt before. Sparks will fly and friendships will be put to the test as Videl discovers new things about this mysterious boy...
1. At First Glance

**A/N: Hello everyone! :D Sunshine here! I am officially starting my second fic! Please give it a read? I had this in my mind since… what? June? Well, it was a really long time haha ,xD I finally got off my lazy butt and finished the plot and now it's published! The theme for this fic is "Korean Drama-Drama," which is my personal goal to make it like one. I love K-drama's so I was inspired! :) There will also be no Buu Saga because frankly, I'm not too fond of it ,xP ****Also, there will be changes to the story line. Saiyaman and the Gold Fighter WILL NOT be in here because his presence is not really needed. Sorry! The ages will still be the same as in the English dub though. This story should be progressing pretty slow and you're probably gonna hate what I'll be putting you guys through ^_^;**

**I also write a fic called "Field Trip Mishaps" so if you see that, please check it out? It would make me very happy! X) Those of you who've read it, no worries! I'm still working on it! I just couldn't keep this in a bottle anymore; it just had to come out! ,xD Well, hope you enjoy and please review!**

**Disclaimer: *Spotlight shines on a sleep-deprived author* Oooh, you caught meee~ HA! As if I own DBZ! Everything is all owned by Akira Toriyama and stuff so yeah! I'M JUST SPREADING THE LOOOVE~! And NO I do not own ze quotes! Eesh, why so uptight?**

**Buckets Full O' Sunshine**

**Proudly presents…**

**SOMEONE LIKE YOU**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**Prologue:**

Thick plumes of smoke rose in the sky, choking out the stars of the night. Dark tendrils of smoke oozed out of cracks in the building in which it engulfed, flames licking the edges of brick walls and charring it black. The building was like hell itself, its bright flames pulsating and throwing eerie shadows into the night, playing the game of a deadly dance. The roar of fire could be heard from a distance away, and flakes of ash floated down, covering the rooftops of many homes.

The earth shuddered and croaked, nature was in ruins. The ground opened up, swallowing cars and throwing the world off balance. Apartments crashed against each other like domino chips, flattening smaller ones into rubble. Half-awake citizens ran chaotically around from the descending buildings, like ants running in a crazed frenzy. Some threw themselves to the ground in attempt to shield themselves, clinging to others in fear.

After the long, agonizing moments passed, the shaking finally ceased, and sounds of sirens blared across the city. Trucks of vibrant red veered urgently down the streets, and men spilled out in search for refugees to help. Other trucks lined up around the burning building in a practiced fashion, with people filing out armed with hoses moving in sync. Orders were yelled, some lost in the deafening sound of the roaring flames.

In the air, a helicopter hovered above, filming the disaster. A reporter stood overseeing the events unravel as firefighters fought to fight the raging fire. He eyed the scene concerned and urgency was evident in his voice as he spoke into a microphone.

"—**filming this live, an earthquake has caused this building to ignite into flames as firefighters rush to the scene. So far, few survivors have been identified and we have yet to find out more."**

As he spoke, the firemen were still fighting to tame the flame. Despite the onslaught of water rushing out, the fire had yet to disipitate, barely flickering as it fought to fend off the cooling liquid. Some firefighters had already dove into the fiery pit, disappearing behind the ashened doors to the inside. Others were stumbling out covered in soot and smog with staggering figures clinging on to them. Paramedics immediately flocked to them, whisking them away hurriedly for attention.

Amidst all the commotion, no one noticed a golden streak flash across the sky. It would have been easily mistakened as a star, but if one were to look closer, they would in fact see a boy.

The boy almost emitted a sonic boom at the speed he was flying, but held back just enough to not break the barrier of sound. His golden, spiky hair flapped against the wind, almost plastered to his scalp and his teal eyes were narrowed, blazing with impatience. Urgency was etched onto his face as he gritted his teeth in frustration, for if he flew faster, the city might not have been able to handle the force.

"Please don't let me be too late," he kept muttering under his breath. His hands were fisted against his sides enough to turn his knuckles white.

"Please."

As he closed in, the boy's eyes honed in on the burning building before curving up in an arc and diving straight down. Faster than the eye could see, a window shattered as the boy flew straight through the glass, crossing his arms over his face to block the jagged fragments. He ignored the shards scraping against his cheeks; it would not do harm to him.

Once inside, he was hit with waves of intense heat and smoke began its merciless assault on his lungs. Momentarily overcome with the sudden lack of oxygen, the boy began to cough violently, stumbling a bit. His eyes stung as his body hacked and fought to breathe, the scorching heat stripping away his sight. He fingered his shirt and gingerly pressed it up against his nose. The flimsy fabric served practically useless to ease his coughs, but despite his obvious discomfort, the boy stood back up with determination flashing across his eyes.

Taking a quick look around, the boy surveyed the area, taking in the ignited furniture and crumbling paintings. All he could see through the dense smoke was shadows of black and red, the heat of flames casting unearthly hues against the smoldering walls. His heightened senses however, allowed him to see far clearer than the human eye could, so navigating his way around the room was much easier to do with his enhanced sight.

Spotting a door, he quickly shot out, enduring the increasing heat as he maneuvered his way closer to the heart of the fire. Each step he took sent thick trails of ash to waft up behind him, coating his clothes with the burning powder. He ignored the flakes, quickening his pace.

He had no time to lose.

Pausing to close his eyes, the boy stretched out his senses to _feel. _Feeling came as a second nature to him, so he felt the response immediately. The familiar tingle of sensing energy enveloped his mind, sensing the life force of others. Many of the energies were pulsating, rising and falling so rapidly that it suggested that they were alive, but struggling to do so. The stronger ones were on the move, moving faster and their ki heightened a bit, indicating that they were nervous—and searching for something. There was no doubt those were firefighters.

A cold feeling suddenly washed over him and the boy winced. Someone had died. Soon after, a few more energies began to disappear, others border lining on the verge of death. One of them… it was _her._

His eyes snapped open and he immediately began to rush towards the weak energy signal. It was so weak, and was getting dangerously lower. The boy weaved as quickly as he could through the rooms and hallways, sending plumes of soot behind him. With his strength, he had to take precautions on the building that was so fragile to him. His steps quickened as he felt the energy flux once more. He recognized the action as pain and his urgent steps shuffled faster. The energy was getting more and more inaudible, so locking onto it was becoming increasingly difficult amidst all the other low signals. Perspiration rolled down his forehead, a result from the endless heat, and he panted as his lungs struggled to breath against the suffocating smoke. Despite his endless coughing, the boy continued to move forward, determination and adrenaline pulsing through his veins. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes felt like hours.

Passing a flight of stairs, he finally reached the room he was sure she was in, and he did not hesitate to throw open the door. Inside, the smoke was rising and despite his remarkable vision, the thickening ashes were proving to fail even his sharp eyes. Coughing, he began to frantically search around, calling out her name before breaking into another fit of coughs.

"Where are you?" he called, voice hoarse and dry from the heat. He rubbed his eyes, attempting to clear his vision. His words were lost in the flames that were rapidly rising each passing second. "Where are you?" he repeated, his voice increasing in volume. This time, the tiniest of movements caught the corner of his eye, and the boy reeled towards its direction in anticipation. There, in the dark corner of the room, a figure lie limply on the floor. Half of the upper body was hidden among the shadows, and the lower half was pinned beneath a pile of concrete that had fallen from the ceiling. A small pool of dark liquid had gathered around the body, staining the wooden floor a vibrant red. Upon further inspection, the figure revealed to be young girl, her long, dark hair tangled messily around her. Hair that he knew so well…

The boy's blood ran cold.

Lurching forward, he cried out her name and rushed to her side. In mere seconds, he reduced the distance that separated them and knelt down, throwing the heavy burden off her. The girl's leg was a bloody mess, one mangled and bent in an unnatural way. Thick, warm blood trickled down the cuts and blisters decorating her leg, where the concrete had protruded her skin. Her raw flesh was swollen with burns and her face was slick with sweat, contorted in obvious pain. Her dark hair was matted against the sides of her head, soot marring her beautiful features.

The boy cupped her face in his hands and brushed her hair out of the way, whispering reassuring words in her ear. She was barely breathing, but her body visibly relaxed from the comforting sounds of his voice. He tore a long piece of fabric from his shirt and hastily began wrapping her leg. The appendage would have to do. Other than her immobilized leg, there was no other major physical damage on her body besides secondary burns. He would worry about that later. Their first priority was to get out of there.

Making another once-over to see that she was okay, he muttered a hasty apology before wasting no time and (as gently as possible) scooped her up in his arms, running in search for an exit. She cried out from the sudden pain and the boy whispered another set of apologies. Stirring, her eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused from the bright flames and heat.

"Go… han?" she managed to choke out, voice barely a whisper.

"Shhh," the boy assured her, trying to move as quickly and carefully as possible, in fear of hurting her. "Don't talk. We're almost there. I'll get us out of here." He coughed as the scorching ashes burned down his windpipe. He began to descend the flight of stairs he had passed earlier, stumbling a bit from the lack of oxygen. The smoke was starting to interfere with his vision, and things gradually began to blur in and out. He still pressed on, trying to ignore the fogging in his mind.

Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a creaking from above and he looked up in time to see the ceiling give way and crash down upon them. At the last minute, the boy managed to dive out of the way from the descending blocks and barely caught his footing on the ground. While falling, he spun his body in the momentum to cushion the rough fall for the injured girl. She gave out a squeak of protest as he stumbled from the sudden lack of balance, struggling to stand up straight. Checking to see if she was okay, the boy began to move again, away from potential danger.

As he momentarily glanced at the broken chunks of ceiling, thoughts of narrowly missing the rubble was pushed away as his mind reeled, frantically looking around for a different route of escape. He could not send a ki ball skyward, or the building would cave in, inevitably destroying any slim chance of escape for possible survivors. The windows were aflame and he would not risk his friend being burned or injured from broken glass.

The only way was to continue down.

Surging forward once more, the boy gritted his teeth. The girl was barely hanging on to consciousness and her head lolled at the pace they were moving. "Don't worry, we're almost here," he said, fighting to breathe. The only thing that met his lungs was the smell of smoldering smoke and ashes. Now with his hands full and the flimsy fabric of his shirt torn and no longer providing some barrier between him and the smoke, breathing became more difficult and he fought to stay strong. Every second now, he was coughing violently, as was the girl in his arms. The heat increased in intensity and his vision blurred, causing his once sure steps to become confused and uncoordinated. After another minute of confused walking, the girl began to convulse.

"Hurts…" she moaned and the boy picked up the pace, flames rapidly closing in on them.

More concrete was hazardly falling down on them and maneuvering around the prison increased in difficulty. The boy began to sway, the effects of smoke clouding his mind. He got the faintest of glimpses of light flooding out a open doorway. Whether he was hallucinating or not, hope and adrenaline surged through him anyways and he advanced towards the door, the door that separated them from salvation.

Suddenly, the earth seemed to convulse and shudder, throwing his feet off balance and sent him crashing to the ground. The ground ceased to stop shaking, and glancing up, his vision blurred worse than ever and the world appeared to sway. His mind felt weak from the effects of smoke. He could feel the strong beats of his heart pounding, his blood roaring in his ears, and the haggard breathing of his lungs as it slowly began to shorten. His mind barely processed watching the door, the entrance to freedom, fall back into itself, condemning them to burn forever.

_If your life flashed before you, what do you wish you would've done?_

The boy took one last glance at the dying girl beside him, integrating the last beautiful thing into his mind before he left the world. He reached out and clasped his hand in hers, twining them together, feeling the soft, comforting warmth rush up their fingers. The two locked eyes, and he was sucked into her mesmerizing orbs, shining with tears. As they gazed entranced into each other's eyes, the girl gave him one last squeeze, as if to say…

… _Goodbye._

Jolting with renewed strength, the world suddenly became clearer and the boy shot up. No. He was not letting them end like this.

The ceiling began to cave in, and he threw himself on top of her, shielding her from its onslaught. The unstable building began its descent upon them, enveloping them in darkness. The last thing he heard was her whimper and at that moment one last fleeting thought crossed his mind:

_I had failed…_

From the distance, the reporter watched as the burning building finally began to crumble, collapsing and falling into itself. With a final shudder, the building croaked and fell, crushing the structure beneath it and sending plumes of smoke to be thrown into the air. Firefighters had already escaped in time and were finishing up putting out the fire, its intense flames finally starting to die down. Smoke continued to taint the night sky, and flakes of ash began to coat the ground, transforming the world into a depressing gray.

The news reporter sighed heavily before turning once more towards the camera, tone grave as he spoke his last report.

"**Some last information has just come in. No more survivors have escaped. I repeat, no more survivors have escaped."**

…

**Chapter 1: At First Glance**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_I took one look at you_

_That's all I meant to do_

_And my heart stood still._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**Videl's POV:**

Son Gohan.

That was his name. A strange name… yet it suited him perfectly.

I took a look at him.The boy was obviously shy seeing as the way his self-conscious steps filed its way awkwardly into the room. His back was unnaturally rigid and stiff as he walked straight to the center of the classroom. Each step he took oozed with nervousness. He bit his lower lip, casting quick glances up at the rows of students that leered down at him. Obviously he felt discomfort at the way his peers were staring at him. I honestly couldn't blame him. After all, I'd be pretty freaked out too if a bunch of girls looked as if they were about to pounce on me.

He fidgeted with the scruff of his neck and laughed nervously, looking VERY out of his element. It was easy to tell he wasn't used to attention.

My suspicious nature began to surface and I felt my eyes narrowing, studying every aspect of his being. First, I noted his spiky, jet-black hair that somehow defied gravity although there was no evidence he used gel. Only a single stray lock curved down the middle of his forehead, almost touching his nose. Usually, anyone with hair like that I would deem a delinquent if it weren't for the innocent youth that lighted his face.

His high cheekbones brought out eyes dark as midnight, which shone with a child-like happiness to it and at the moment, was portrayed with nervousness. He had a tall nose and strong jaw line that accented his features, giving him a sort of masculine look, yet still held a boyish quality that contributed to his striking looks. Despite the darkness of his hair, it contrasted shockingly with his skin which was an olive color slightly darker than my own. Somehow, the diversity in color didn't seem harsh as it would on most people, instead seeming to balance it out perfectly. He easily towered over most guys in the class although looking rather scrawny underneath the loose baggy clothing he wore.

But there was something that didn't add up. The more I studied him, the more obvious the evidence became. His weight was equally distributed on both feet, exerting the same force on either side. Despite his stiff back, it began to gradually relax ever the slightest, but my trained eyes caught the differences in movement. His posture was one I knew well, since I myself stood in a similar way. Spine straight, shoulders back, chin held high. At first glance, the way he stood would seem like that of an ordinary person, but to the trained eye of a fighter, one could tell that it was a posture of strength and pride, the same posture martial artists used.

Directed to a seat, he began to ascend the stairs, his lithe feet thumping hypnotically up the steps. I found that odd, seeing as how someone as thin as him could walk with such grace. But at a young age I learned to never underestimate your opponent, whether they were martial artists or not. I should know, since I am also underestimated myself, with my petite form and gender causing those larger than me to look down upon my capabilities as a fighter.

I scrutinized him further, once more studying his form. Like the way he stood, his steps were even, and although I doubted if any muscle was present beneath his baggy shirt, his arms said otherwise. His shoulders were quite broad actually, seen slightly better when moving. It was only a slight difference, but it was enough to throw me off.

I decided to keep tabs on the new kid. There was something strange about him, and I couldn't let such an anomaly pass by. There was more to him that meets the eye, and I had a feeling he knew secrets—ones that could change my world. And I was determined to find out.

He was grinning sheepishly as he made it up the first few flights of stairs. From around me, I could hear the sigh of girls swooning. I quirked a brow. Was this new kid really that attractive? I tried to appear nonchalant and less obvious to my staring, but my curiosity kept me from being entirely successful. From the corner of my eye, I continued to survey him as he closed in on the space to his seat, coincidentally two seats away from my own.

But he must have finally noticed my eyes on him, as his head tilted slightly to the left and turned in the path of my own. It was only then when his dark mesmerizing orbs captured my own that I felt my heart start to quicken and slow all at the same time, and a small tingle of blood rushed up my face. I felt my earlier suspicions die in my mind and the world seemed to stop.

In the briefest of moments our eyes locked, his widened ever so slightly, almost as if he knew me, and his pace slowed. It felt like an eternity passed between us. My breath was taken away as I was sucked into his own dark pools, aware of the slight pounding in my chest. How was it that eyes could be that dark? His was like none I had ever seen; it seemed to speak its own volumes. His eyes were a shade of pure black, onyx I would call it. Despite the dark color, it shone with undeniable kindness and warmth, showing a soul with unconditional love and happiness. It gravitational qualities drew me in, and I found I couldn't pull myself to look away. For the few long seconds that passed between us, I really did feel like I knew him. Yes, he was a gentle spirit no doubt, but as I continued to study him, I was able to see something more… something about his past.

As my eyes delved deeper into his, I found more emotions that would not have stood out if I hadn't looked further. Those dark orbs that had seemed so bright before now reflected swirling emotions as dark as his eyes. Behind that happy exterior, there was pain; grief. An eerie sense of someone haunted from his past, someone who had seen too much. Eyes that had matured far beyond his years.

Eyes that had lost someone.

This all happened in a split second before his gaze broke away from mine, releasing me from its captivity.

He finally sat down, that innocent look back on his face. I wasn't able to see much anyways, since I had turned away and dipped my head, knowing that his eyes had returned to being guarded. I sighed, in understanding. I understood the pain of losing someone you loved and despite barely knowing the boy, I felt a link establish between us. Suddenly, learning his secrets seemed not as desirable as before, although I still wanted to know badly. But I decided not to pester him with such things yet, thinking that it felt wrong, invasive even. Everybody had secrets and deserved _some _privacy.

My eyes subconsciously locked onto him again. Throughout class, I found myself doing this quite often, despite my attempts not to. This boy was just so mysterious; there was something about his character that intrigued me. I try not to look at him, but I can't help but sneak _more _peeks once in a while. Sometimes our eyes would meet and we'd both look away quickly. I could feel my face blazing a bit, embarrassed from being caught.

A glimpse of his reddened ear tells me he is too.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Why was I getting so curious about this boy? Why did I feel I wanted to know him better?

Casting one last glance in his direction, my mind once again drifted to his secrets, and what they could be.

'_Someday,'_ I concluded to myself. '_Someday I'll figure you out, just you wait. I'll discover all your secrets. But I guess another time, when you're ready to share.' _

Yes, when the time comes, I'll be waiting.

Just who exactly are you? Are you really what you appear to be?

Sighing, I gathered what information I had obtained in the past hour, pondering on how to figure out this boy. He had blown me away in his gaze, showing me so many emotions at once. Gone was his innocence, pain and grief instead replacing where it should have been. As quickly as it had appeared, it was covered so fast it could have been a mere illusion.

But I knew better.

I sighed, casting my gaze straight ahead and leaned forward on my chair, resting my chin in the palm of my hand.

Son Gohan.

He was certainly an enigma.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Sometimes you meet someone and_

_Before you know their name_

_Before you know where they are from_

_You know that sometime in the future_

_This person is going to mean_

_Something to you_

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: Auuu… I feel light-headed now _ ; Anyone else need to wear glasses to type?**

**NOOOOOO~! I am contradicting my name~! Dx WHY did I have to start off on such an unhappy note?! Booo… -_-; Aw well, I think I did pretty good? It wasn't too… **_**gory**_** was it? D: Yush, I know that Gohan could've escaped through the window fine and dandy but it would've TOTALLY ruined the plot! ,:T**

**By the way, anyone have any ideas on who that mysterious girl was in the prologue? :D So many questions! I know, it's confusing, but I promise everything will make sense later on! Also, remember that this is not supposed to be tragedy, or else it would say on the genre. It's romance and drama, not tragedy okay?! As for the girl, I'll be leaving hints throughout future chapters, like in this one :) You probably already have a good idea on who it is (I think). *Shrugs* I'm gonna leave you guys in the dark for another… actually, I probably shouldn't say how long :P Tee hee! *Dodges a rotten apple* HEY! NO LITTERING!**

**Sooo whattaya think? Good? Bad? Please drop me a review! :D**

_[*Cringes* Where… where are my line breakers?! D: I reread this and decided to fix it; it was annoying me! Dx But yeah, this is edited I think. My editing skills… are limited :P] – __**2/9/13**_


	2. Best Friend

**A/N: THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS GUYS! x'D I love you all already! ,x3 They mean to a lot to me because it gives me encouragement to keep writing when I'm in doubt. At first, I was hesitant to publish this because the story line was kinda… jacked up… ,xT Then I walked past a Nike billboard that said, "Just Do It" so I said, "Alright, I'll do it!" So now, I did it! … now all I have to do is finish it. YOLO! Wish me luck! ,x'D And sorry I didn't update earlier :( I was planning on doing it Sunday, but if you don't know, I can't update on school days -_-; Yes, Sundays are considered school days. The bottom Author's Notes will tell you why.**

**And also, I think I forgot to mention this but the prologue took place two years after the Cell Games. I also think I said that Videl still fights crime, but not Gohan, since it's not relevant to the story. This is a high school fic and will focus more on their social lives, so there won't be too much fight scenes! ,:D There will probably be a few fight scenes and the rest is history. Anyways, enjoy and happy readings everyone!**

**Of course there's this little itty-bitty review section x3**

**chaos267: **FIRST REVIEWER! *Tackles with hug* Thanks for the review! :) Eh?! Only one you can think of huh, among the maaany characters of DBZ? *Looks at very short list* Yep, SO MUCH (potential ones) to choose from… xD Meh, not really :P

**dbzfan777: **I'll hug you too! Thank you for the review! :D

**Sportsfan64: ***Hugs* Thank youuuu! :D As for your question, yes and no, no and yes! :P Sorry! I have to leave everyone in the dark! ,x]

**RaiynetheHedgehog: **Thanks Raiyne! xD *Hugs* Great to see ya again! :D Yup, I'm taking a chance with this one. Were you expecting another comedy fic? xD Gasp! And you KNOW?! (Whatever it is that you know?!). Oh darn! Guess I'll have to try harder then! But… after this chapter, are you SURE you know who it is? :] *Smirk* Don't worry, I'll definitely explain why he couldn't escape the building later x3 Much, much later :P … or at least I'll try to… -_-;

**Guest: **Thank you Guest! I would hug you too but I don't even know your name! xP *Hugs anyways*

**StoryLover02: ***Stutters in disbelief* R-r-really?! It was intriguing?! THANK YOU! x'D *hugs*

**EthanMichael: ***HUG!* Thank you! xD

**Mariale-26:** THANK YOU! *Hugs* xD When I read this, I kept yelling, "OMIGOODNESS!" until my dad told me to be quiet so he could watch the news -_-;

**Ehe, sorry guys if I'm being too weird ,x] I'm just so ecstatic! ,:D**

**Disclaimer: *Spotlight shines on a sleep-deprived author* Oooh, you caught meee~ HA! As if I own DBZ! Everything is all owned by Akira Toriyama and stuff so yeah! I'M JUST SPREADING THE LOOOVE~! And NO I do not own ze quotes! Eesh, why so uptight?**

**Claimer: I own leftover cheesecake. It has red syrup and a cherry on top P: Actually, FIVE cherries on top! You jealous? …. MINE! Dx**

...

**Chapter 2: Best Friend**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Before I met you, I never knew_

_What it was like to look at someone_

_And smile for no reason_

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

A small girl stood crouching behind a wall, her back pressing against its cool, smooth surface. Her back was arched as her fingers lingered stealthily over the ground, her feet quickly shuffling across the tight space. Her tense body made no sound, although she was able to squirm her way around so silently that not a single noise was uttered. From beneath her, she could faintly see flashes of red and blue blinking from the corner of her eye, and perspiration rolled down her forehead. Faint voices of talking floated its way up into her ears and the gruffing of frustration and annoyance was evident, as well as impatience.

She glanced over her shoulder, carefully maneuvering her body to match her line of sight. Her head barely peeked above the surface, and she was able to see the events unravel from beneath her. Her icy blue eyes narrowed at the five or six police cars lined up around the building in where she stood, lights flashing its blinding colors. Dozens of officers accompanied those cars, all having their guns trained in front of them. Light gleamed off the dark metal, giving the small, slender weapon a sense of deadliness to it.

"This is the FBI and we have you surrounded! You have nowhere to run!" barked a man with a dark, bushy beard and a slightly bulky build. The girl recognized him as the chief. His eyes were narrowed dangerously on the building and his gun pointed towards the front, ready to shoot if need be. His allies flanked his side, covering him in all directions. Looks of seriousness hardened on their faces, muscles tensed and ready to leap into action.

The girl smirked. Those guys were definitely doing better.

The sound of a door slowly clanking open sounded from beneath her, and her petite body tensed up, rigid with anticipation. Heavy footsteps could be heard, almost peculiar against the stone steps.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Although she couldn't fully see who had stepped out, she could almost feel the distress and adrenaline radiating off the police force like a tidal wave. Whoever was beneath her obviously caused some distress.

"Why, if it isn't Satan City's noble forces," a deep voice boomed almost pleasantly, causing a slight shiver to run down their spines. "What did I _ever_ do to receive such an _honor_?" the voice continued, sarcasm dripping with every syllable. His voice noticeably curled in distaste at the word 'honor'. He didn't sound like he even cared that he was caught.

"There's no use in escaping! We've got you surrounded!" repeated the chief and his hand tightened around the gun.

"Oh, do you now?" By the tone of voice, the girl could've imagined him rolling his eyes with mock boredom. There was a shuffle of unease passing through the officers, unsure on how to handle such a remark. The goon smirked, his lips curling up in a wicked grin at their discomfort.

Then he snapped his fingers.

The world seemed to speed up and slow down all at the same time. At that moment, the girl leaped up to her feet, her lithe body curved and ready for combat. Her back foot pushed her off the concrete, launching her forward as her arms extended outwards to maintain balance, giving her an illusion of a hawk.

Many things happened at once, right as her feet left the stable ground. Her long, dark hair whipped behind her, lashing at her face. Gravity started to work its magic and pulled her down, her body adjusting its angle in line with the target. Her baggy clothes flapped against the wind and she was aware of the familiar feeling of exhilaration pulsing through her veins, her heart pounding with excitement. She loved the thrill of a fight.

As soon as she was in full view without the darkness of the building to conceal her, her eyes made contact with the cop furthest to the front. As their eyes locked, his widened in realization and his mouth began to open agape. The girl smirked before descending.

In slow motion, the police simultaneously leapt out, feet starting to break into a run.

The crook's hand reached out from behind him, the movement clasping a shiny object in his pocket.

The sound of metal clicking.

Faster than a snake, her leg whipped out so that it was parallel with the ground and she brought her foot down hard, reveling with satisfaction as her heel made contact with her target. A loud –CRACK!—sounded throughout the area as the man crumbled beneath the force, unconscious from the blow to the head. She grabbed the gun that had fallen out of his grip, and she promptly threw it out of reach towards the police. The girl gracefully landed, showing no signs of pain her foot inflicted on the man and she casually brushed herself off, the gesture almost giving off an air of arrogance.

The world seemed to rush past her again as voices and shouts filled the air and she turned to see another man charge at her, much resembling a bull. A ski mask concealed his face, but she could tell with distaste that he was rather ugly anyways, with or without the mask on. His muscles rippled as he moved towards her and his nostrils flared almost comically.

She readied herself for combat as the large goon rapidly closed in. Despite his large size, he was quite fast, she mused.

But not fast enough.

Just as the man was about to take a grab at her, obviously underestimating her, the girl dropped on all fours, resulting the man toppling over his own momentum. Taking advantage of his momentary surprise, she lashed out her leg, its slender shape catching the robber's off-guard and taking his feet out from underneath him. With the sudden lack of balance, the man fell forward, the action happening too fast for his mind to register it happened until it was too late.

In one last swift motion, the girl once again shot out a arm, the limb thrown up and catching the large man's chin. His head snapped back from the blow and shock was etched all over his face—as well as disbelief.

He crumpled to the ground beside his fallen comrade and the girl wasted no time on facing the rest of the gang. She was vaguely aware of more shouts and sounds of battling around her, as the police helped assist her in combat. Some were already taken down to be cuffed away.

By now, the robbers were well aware of the small girl seemingly appearing out of nowhere. They immediately focused their attention on her once they witnessed their men fall by her hand.

Deciding she was a larger threat and that they could not defeat her alone, the group decided it was best to do it in numbers. Much resembling wolves, the robbers advanced towards the girl, ready to strike down the obstacle that soiled their plans.

The girl gave a confident smirk and motioned for them to come forward, her eyes silently challenging them. _'Come at me'._

Enraged, the robbers leaped at her, insulted that someone so tiny could dare to take down _them_. No, they were not letting a _little girl_ be their downfall.

The petite figure smirked wider before her face fell into complete and utter seriousness again. She lowered into her trademark fighting stance with ease and allowed them to charge at her. Only three were left of the remaining five she faced off against, and although they gained strength from numbers and brawl, none could compare to what abilities she had: speed, skill, and agility. Of course she had plenty of strength herself, but they didn't need to know that.

As the man in the front of the pack drew his arm back to punch her, the other was attempting to kick her at a low angle. The third that was farthest from her was sneaking up from behind to disable the girl's movement. Sharp as ever, she saw all the attacks coming. With amazing speed, the agile female swiftly jumped up, evading the kick and countering with one of her own that sent the grown man sprawling across the pavement. Meanwhile, she simply tilted her head to the side as a fist flew past where her head would have been. Air rushing past brushed her ear as the fist continued to sail forward, past her face.

Smirking, the girl took a hold of his arm and used it as a leverage to forcefully pull forward, effectively causing him to crash into his colleague that was originally behind her. They began to curse her name but the girl paid them no mind. She simply stood back up to face the remaining standing one who had just regained his footing from his earlier fall.

With the two tangled crooks momentarily busy, the girl sent a vicious right hook to the second man who in turn blocked it. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she sent a barrage of punches and kicks at the man. He barely had time to dodge or block the hits, and whenever one found its mark, he let out a grunt of pain. Still, he held his ground fairly well, and continued to fight on despite his rapidly decreasing stamina.

'_He's a pretty stubborn one',_ the girl thought slightly begrudgingly before her hand snaked out. In one smooth fluid motion and effectively catching the crook off guard, she nailed him in the cheek. He fell back and the impact caused his teeth to chatter as his head vibrated before hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Immediately the cops swarmed around the fallen man, cuffing his hands before he had time to recover. The three that were out of commission were already arrested, and police were confiscating what they had stolen.

A loud bang suddenly sounded in the air and by sheer luck, the girl barely had time to jerk her head back in surprise as a speeding bullet narrowly sped its way past her, wedging itself into a tree. It nearly brushed her nose and as it flew past and girl let out a sharp intake of breath, fear momentarily jerking her body frozen. One inch closer and her head would be gone. The girl sweatdropped and paled a bit, heart pounding at the close call. The man who had shot the bullet tsked in displeasure before handing a spare gun to his remaining partner. Each had looks of murder on their faces.

Both pointed the gun towards her.

Cursing under her breath, the girl quickly moved out of line of the projectile, retreating behind the tree that was hit earlier. The sound of metal pinging against bark sounded behind her, closely so. The tree provided just enough shelter for the girl, its trunk only a bit wider in diameter than her entire body.

The girl's mind reeled, pondering on her next course of action. There was no way she could defeat them with their guns still loaded. The only option was to wait for them to reload or to catch them by surprise. She surveyed her surroundings, trying to find something to use to her advantage. Her eyes then fell on what was next to her. A metal trash can happened to be laying near where she stood, its aluminum metal glinting blindingly in the sunlight. A small, conniving grin spread its way across her face, and she quickly grabbed at the silver lid, gripping the round, symmetrical object in her hands.

Taking deep breaths, the girl continued to wait for the slow, agonizing moments to pass. Her patience was rewarded as she heard the sounds of gunfire stop and a slight string of curse words leaving the crook's mouth. She could hear them reaching to reload them.

Wasting no time, she darted out from behind her protective covering and sped towards the men. They only had a few seconds to process a flat silver disk hurtling towards them.

The next thing the man knew, he felt a sharp, hot pain sear across his head and a small blur of white speeding up towards him, embedding a knee into his stomach. '_Use your environment to your advantage',_ the girl thought distantly, before taking a step back to admire her work.

The man coughed, feeling his mind go fuzzy and was aware of the faint trickling of blood oozing down his forehead, as well as the aching in his stomach. The world seemed to sway, and a wave of black washed over him as his mind lost consciousness.

The last robber froze in panic, fear coursing through his veins. All his colleagues were out, and he was the only one left to face the police and a very intimidating, very tiny, little girl. A string of curse words left his mouth as he started to fumble for his gun.

The girl, however, was not about to let that happen.

With a swift kick, the projectile flew out of his hands as the foot made contact with skin. The last thing he saw was a fist flying towards his face.

….

"Great work again Videl," the chief praised the girl. The girl, Videl, blew her hair out of her face and brushed her raven locks back, a small satisfied grin lighting her face.

"No problem Chief," she replied, wiping sweat off her brow. "I just do what I can." Of course, that meant she did pretty much everything. The girl wisely held her tongue though, even if the words were true. She did do most of the work here, while the police officers often cowardly hid behind their cars. But she had to admit, their display of bravery today was pretty good, much better than they were a few months ago. And even though she did do most of the fighting, crimes seemed to be dropping quite significantly lately and Videl found herself coming out to assist less and less. It was obviously the result of their improvement.

"Well, I'd stay back to chat more Chief, but I got to go! I'm late for school!" A glance at her watch told her that she was precisely seven minutes late for her first class, which happened to be history. Her eyes widened before she took off, speeding towards her school. Her history teacher was notorious for handing out detentions like a box of tissues, and there was no way she wanted to be later than she already was.

With a last shout of farewell over her shoulder, the raven-haired beauty raced down the streets, intent on beating time. Her feet were merely a blur as it glided across the pavement and she panted, slightly winded from her 'morning exercise'.

The familiar building of Orange Star High rose in the horizon, and her feet picked up speed, moving with all its might towards the building. She was able to easily reduce the distance between her and the school, years of hard work and stamina paying off.

Orange Star High was a rather large building, four stories high toppling over many others that surrounded it. It was the largest school in the city, not only because the brightest students enrolled there (she was seriously questioning that logic), but because the world savior used to attend the same school as well. Hercule had donated generously to the school, preparing the best for her daughter that would soon attend someday. Videl was at first against the idea of renovating a school just for her, but after further convincing, she supposed it benefitted others as well, not just herself. She also had to admit it _did_ look nice.

With the lush, open green grass and clear, placid skies, you could definitely see the amount of time and effort the school put in to make it the way it was. The walls were graffiti-free, all the trees and bushes were trimmed to perfection, and most of the teachers were top-notch too. It was overall a very good school, its outer exterior quite pleasant, inside and out.

The curriculum was rather hard though, but she also liked the challenge, she supposed. In everything she did, Videl preferred to excel. To meet the expectations others expected of her. To be herself, to gain her own identity, not just as Hercule's daughter, but as herself. Videl. Videl Satan. She did whatever she could in order to strive. If it meant getting good grades, she would prove that she was more than brawn, that she was capable of academics. If it meant fighting crime and protecting the city, she would do that too, and become her own person, not the shadow of her father.

Videl Satan, crime-fighter of the city.

Finally, arriving at the front of her destination, Videl momentarily leaned on the wall to catch her breath. She readjusted her messy pigtails before opening the doors to the inside. The hallways were eerily quiet, and her feet tapped oddly against the tiled floor, its sound ringing through the empty hallway. It was rather creepy with no students bustling about.

Deciding to hurry up, Videl walked into the main office. The door clicked open, and from behind the desk a woman looked up from her work. She had dark hair pulled back into a tight bun, her thick, pointed glasses rested on her sharp nose. At Videl's arrival, the woman carefully set her documents away, turning in her chair to reach out for a small green note pad.

"Another crime this morning, I presume, Miss Satan?" the woman asked.

Videl nodded. "Yeah, there was a robbery at the bank today." This was almost a usual routine between the two, Videl coming in late from fighting crime, the lady handing her a green pass to excuse her tardy. She even had her own pre-made stacks sitting on the counter to the side, prepared to be given once Videl entered the room.

The lady handed over the green slip and Videl took it graciously. "Thanks Christy," she said, moving to open the door, "I'll see you later."

"Well, hurry along now," the older woman scolded. "You're already late enough as it is." So the girl left, her pace once again quickening to arrive to class faster. Her small steps continued to echo throughout the hallway, but she didn't pay it any mind.

Videl was about to round the corner until what felt like a brick wall rammed into her. The petite girl was sent sprawling on her behind as her hand reflexively moved up to her face.

"Ouch!" she almost yelled out, gritting her teeth in attempt to stay quiet. Blinking away stars, she glared at the thing—or person—that had run into her. How was it that someone was so hard? From her position on the ground, she was able to make out a figure in red, baggy pants and shiny black shoes.

"Videl, are you all right?!" asked the voice, filled with concern. She scowled and glared up at the figure before snapping back.

"All right?! Watch where you're f**ing going you little—" she was about to give him a piece of her mind but stopped abruptly once her gaze traveled farther up and caught sight of whom she was talking to. She immediately felt the insult die in her throat as she stared at the familiar face of _him._

Warm, familiar dark eyes stared softly down at her, its obsidian depths sparkling with amusement. The handsome face grinned broadly and a smooth, low laugh rumbled out from his throat.

"Care to finish that sentence Videl? And 'little' hmm? Creative, very creative," the figure chuckled playfully. He reached out a hand to pull her up. All hostility momentarily forgotten, Videl let a grin spread across her face as she allowed herself to be hoisted up.

"Shut up!" she exclaimed at her friend, only meaning it half-heartedly. She mock-punched him on the arm, causing another laugh to escape his lips. Then her face fell into another scowl and Videl felt some remaining anger rise. She glared up at the boy with her hands on her hips.

"What the hell Gohan!" she scowled, "Watch where you're going! What are you _made_ of?!" Her remark only caused him to dimple wider, infuriating her even more. She snatched his calculus textbook out of his hands before promptly smacking the boy with it, but holding back enough to not seriously injure him. Just to cause some discomfort.

Gohan yelped in surprise and reflexively nursed his head, although there was no evident mark on it. He shot her an accusing look, obviously in no pain. "What was that for?" he complained, a pout sprouting on his lower lip.

"That's what you get for running into me!" she retorted haughtily, sticking her tongue out.

"Hey! It's not _my _fault I couldn't see you!" he defended, dramatically pointing at himself. He then let a slow, innocent grin make its way across his face as Videl processed what he meant. Her face was contoured in disbelief before it quickly transformed into rage.

"Son Gohan, did you just call me _short?!_" the petite girl shrieked before lunging at the tall boy. Gohan smartly made a run for it as she gave chase, throwing inanimate objects at his head. The boy sweatdropped as a pair of scissors flew past his face. What the heck?

He purposefully allowed himself to slow down, Videl picking up speed. She was now up to his heels, literally. Soon, Gohan found himself flipped face first on the ground (courtesy of Videl) and Videl was grinning with triumph, her foot planted firmly on his back.

"Okay, I give! I give!" Gohan said in mock surrender, putting up his hands to indicate his point.

She began to pound her fists on his back, all while muttering half-hearted insults at him, her lips curled up in a playful smile. "Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Short. Again!" With each syllable she uttered, her blows softened until they were both reduced to laughter.

Now softly chuckling, the two teens stared at each other grinning in comfortable silence. It was amazing, really. Three months ago, if anyone told Videl she was going to be best friends with Gohan, she would have scoffed and told them they were crazy. There was no way she could imagine herself hanging out with the class nerd, despite her being friends with a bubbly, boy-crazy girl and thick-headed jock. She, Videl Satan, strong crime-fighter of the city and Gohan, the brains of OSH becoming good friends seemed unlikely. But now here they were, laughing and joking with each other like old friends.

Videl still couldn't believe how well they got along. Gohan was truly one of her best guy friends, one of the few who actually genuinely wanted to know her, as Videl, not as the daughter of Hercule. From the start, he showed no interest in her father, something she at first found a bit unsettling—as well as quite annoying—but she gradually began to like it. He paid attention to _her_, treated her just like how anyone was treated. Like she was a normal person. Videl found that she liked that. Maybe that was why they became such fast friends; Gohan liked her for her.

But their close friendship sometimes caused misconceptions among the population. Sometimes random people would come up to either of them and ask whether the two were going out. Each time, they would laugh in their face and walk away. Later they would tell the other, laughing their heads off at the thought of the ridiculous idea. They were just friends; nothing romantic about that.

Although she did like to look in Gohan's eyes, which was such a mysterious onyx, she didn't feel anything stir in her stomach, no feelings of wanting something _more _with her friend. She just found the abnormal color attractive. She was sure he felt the same, since he didn't mind her staring at him anyways (after all, the boy got used to the glares she shot at him during his first week). They were content with their friendship, and Videl knew who her true friends were; not the fake ones who tried to get close to her for her status.

She did have to admit though, that when she first saw Gohan, she was suspicious of the boy. He was too friendly, always too happy and innocent to be real. Videl generally did not trust others, and if she did find it in her heart to trust someone enough, they had to be very special. Erasa and Sharpner were examples of that. Sure, one was a ditz and the other conceited, but she still loved them the same. They were friends practically since kindergarten; they knew Videl before her father became victor of the Cell Games, before her life was thrown into the spotlight.

There _was _that phase though, in freshman year when Sharpner started to develop feelings for Videl. That was definitely annoying, but the object of his affections recently shifted to Erasa, and now the two were happily dating, and she was happy for her two friends.

Although friendship and trust was _definitely_ hard to earn from Videl, Gohan had it. As the days flew by, eventually becoming weeks then transforming into months, the optimistic boy gradually began to grow on Videl. She learned that he _was _genuinely innocent and he _was _genuinely kind; it was in his nature. She slowly began to warm up to him and even discovered some secrets about him that she vowed to find out on his first day of school. One of them was that he was actually a crown prince from a far-away, burned down kingdom. She found that pretty comical; Gohan certainly did not behave like one. The second took her by surprise: he was friends with Bulma Brief, president of Capsule Corporations, the most wealthy and intellectual woman in the world. Apparently they were great friends as well! Gohan had promised to introduce her some time, and that was a promise she was holding him up to.

Though diversely different, Videl found that she and Gohan also had a lot in common; uncannily so. They both shared passions for similar things, hated the same stuff, did the same things. So they started to find themselves stuck with each other, left behind when Erasa and Sharpner went away for dates, or when their other friends were busy. During that time, it was spent gradually becoming good friends, and soon Gohan became someone Videl could count on.

He was a good friend.

She was brought out of her musings however, when a sharp, angry voice penetrated her thoughts. It was not Gohan's, or anyone she recognized for that matter.

Both teens swiveled around in time to see the janitor stalking up angrily towards them, a scowl etched on his face.

"Hey! Aren't you kids supposed to be in class?!" he snapped, advancing towards them with a wet mop in hand.

Gohan and Videl, still sitting on the floor, exchanged looks before simultaneously shouting, "RUN!" The two quickly sped off down the halls. As they ran, Gohan had grabbed Videl's hand and they zigzagged across the road, making sharp turns around corners and literally sending a trail of dust in their wake. The janitor was left behind, yelling incoherent things into the air while shaking his fist in anguish.

They didn't stop running until they finally found themselves standing in front of the door to class. They stood in silence, taking a moment to catch their breath. When Gohan had recovered, he leaned on the wall, a ghostly smile on his face.

"Whew! That was close!" Gohan exclaimed, relief evident in his voice.

"Tell me about it!" Videl replied, brushing her hair back. That was one crazy janitor!" They paused in silence, deep in thought. An image of the janitor's face stretching into a scowl all while holding up a dripping mop popped into their minds, and they suddenly burst into hysterics.

"Oh my _god_," Videl gasped, clutching her stomach. "That was _hilarious_!"

Gohan was nodding in agreement, too caught up in laughing to answer.

The door in front of them suddenly swung open, and the two came face-to-face with their history teacher, Mr. Baloney. They immediately shut up, Gohan regaining composure while Videl fought to keep the grin off her face. Their teacher's eyes narrowed into slits as he studied them. He made a disapproving click of his tongue.

"So, Mr. Son, Miss Satan, care to grace us with your presence again, I see," he said sarcastically. They sweatdropped under his gaze. "Care to explain?" he asked, giving Gohan an expectant look.

The boy rubbed his back sheepishly, a gesture Videl recognized when he was nervous. "Sorry Mr. Baloney," he said, his trademark grin plastered on his face. "I woke up late."

Mr. Baloney sighed. "Well, I know it's a long commute here, so I'll let you off the hook just this _once."_ He stressed the last syllable with great care. "But," his eyes turned sharply back to Gohan's, "_one more _tardy and it's a detention. Understand?"

Gohan nodded vigorously before flashing Videl a smile and wishing her good luck. He quickly stepped into the room and sat down in his seat, all the way to the top corner of the room. Mr. Baloney then turned his gaze to her, brow raised.

Taking her cue, Videl began to explain her reason for tardiness. "There was a crime," she stated simply, and her teacher nodded in understanding. There was no need for further explanation. It was no secret that Videl assisted the police in crime and it also served as her community hours for school.

He motioned for her to take her seat, and Videl hastily complied. "At least someone is late for something _reasonable_," Mr. Baloney was saying, moving back to the front of the class, "unlike _some _people." He looked pointedly at Gohan, who grinned sheepishly with a faint blush dusting his cheeks. The class laughed.

As Videl ascended the stairs to her seat, her eyes first found Gohan's, and he grinned his typical grin at her. His eyes as usual, were sparkling with a child-like happiness to it and motioned for her to sit by him, her empty seat unoccupied. She nodded once before her gaze then turned three seats down to the two blondes, Erasa and Sharpner. They were now seated next to each other, the happy couple twining their fingers under the table. Erasa cocked a playful brow at her before breaking into a dazzling smile. Sharpner also allowed a small, cocky grin to linger on his face, nodding slightly in greeting. Her eyes then moved farther right, meeting the gaze of…

Marker…

As soon as she sat down, she felt Marker's familiar, strong arms wrap around her waist, and she shivered from the warmth of his touch. His warm, light brown eyes locked on her sea blue ones and she felt her body tingle from the intense gaze of his orbs. She always liked it when Marker looked at her. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, as if she was desired. His eyes faintly reminded her of cider, always shimmering with openness, always ready to have fun. It was warm. Like caramel.

"Another crime this morning, V?" he whispered in her ear. He had a deep, husky voice that drove girls crazy, and Videl certainly wasn't excluded. She liked to think she just wasn't as nuts. Still, hearing him say her nickname was enough to make her giddy with pleasure.

"Yeah," she whispered back, not wanting to get in trouble. His fingers found hers under the desk and she let their fingers merge, twining together as one. Warmth spread throughout her fingertips and she felt her face was heating up slightly. His hands were large compared to hers and enveloped it almost completely. It was like wearing an extra glove, except much, much warmer.

She and Marker had been dating for a few months now, just before Gohan had enrolled. Videl had always had a crush on him, which used to drive her insane. She was _Videl._ She wasn't supposed to like boys! Despite the conflicting thoughts though, Videl found herself contradicting herself. No matter how hard she tried to ignore those large, brown eyes, butterflies kept swarming up her stomach whenever he looked at her, making her skin slightly flush more than what was considered normal.

It was ironic really, since Videl usually did _not_ fall for guys like Marker (much less anyone, for that matter). Marker was a ladies' man, the type of guy who got along with anyone. He had the looks for it too; dark brown hair styled messily, shiny white teeth, perfectly tanned skin. He was the perfect example of many women's dreams, with his muscular build and charming looks. Girls swooned at his feet, and he was never one to stay in a relationship for long. He was just like any other boy, a player. But maybe that was why she was so attracted to him; he was hard to tame, a challenge. Videl was always one for a challenge. He was kind of sweet too, especially around her. He tended to be slightly more compassionate, and Videl loved the attention on her. After all, what girl _wouldn't_ want her boyfriend's attention?

Plus, he had this wild streak that she simply reveled in. He was kind of a 'bad boy', something about him was slightly untamed and dangerous… and Videl liked that. She liked a man, someone who was not afraid to do what he wanted, and someone who was strong. He made her feel thrilled and brought out the fun in her. He was always ready to smile, yet had a dark side to his personality, like a part of him was shrouded in darkness. He was a mysterious boy… perhaps that was another reason why Videl was attracted to him. Marker made her feel wild, alive in a sense of having fun.

She knew he was a player, but yet that didn't stop her from liking him anyways. Their relationship had lasted far longer than she thought it would, and that brought a small smile to her face. Videl liked having control over her life, so knowing that their relationship was progressing well gave her a sense of achievement. Even Videl Satan can have a boyfriend.

Videl peeked at Marker from the corner of her eye. As usual, he was leaning back in his chair in boredom, Mr. Baloney's ramblings lulling the class to slumber. But as if he knew she was staring, he cocked head to the side to see her, a charming, handsome smirk lifting the edges of his mouth. In return, Videl set him a coy grin before she slowly attempted to redirect her attention to the lecture.

Seeing that there was no point of doing so, the raven-haired girl gave up, instead glancing to the left. The sight before her wasn't surprising, but it still made a small grin of amusement spread across her face. Gohan was slumping forward, his stomach curling inward so that it was nearly touching the desk. His head was lowered on one side, bobbing back up every few seconds to blink away sleep. His eyes drooped before snapping open again, soon lowering until the process repeated itself several times. But as each second passed, his futile attempts to remain conscious began to become less frequent…

Smirking, Videl promptly kicked the sleepy boy under the desk, right on his leg. The sudden impact of her foot caused him to jolt awake, alarm lighting his features as his obsidian orbs surveyed the room cautiously. Videl suppressed a laugh at his reaction, his eyes falling on her curiously. She motioned her chin towards the board where Mr. Baloney was glowering at him indignantly. Gohan immediately straightened up, shooting a grateful glance in her direction.

'_Thanks,'_ he mouthed.

Videl simply nodded. _'No problem'._

The rest of the class period was much the same, the cycle repeating itself every so often. Gohan would succumb to sleep, resulting from a kick from Videl. Videl would glance at Marker, both grinning a bit and giving a soft squeeze of their hands before turning back their attention to Mr. Baloney.

Videl sighed in content. Her life wasn't so bad. She had a nice, handsome boyfriend. She had friends she could count on. She had a best friend to joke around with.

Her gaze flickered back and forth between the two boys beside her.

She halted at Marker, the nice, caring, handsome boy with a hint of mischief and adventure in him. Wild and untamed, someone who posed a challenge and complimented her strong, independent personality. He was sexy and charming, a little rough on the edges too, the kind of boyfriend any girl could wish to have.

Her eyes then fell on Gohan, the at-first awkward new boy. The sweet, innocent, and happy-go-lucky boy, always having that contagious, goofy smile on his face. Never wavering with his unconditional kindness. Never failing to brighten the day. Her best friend, always there to give her a hand.

Marker and Gohan.

Both so diversely different, inside and out, but yet, each holding great significance in her life.

The two important men in her life, her best friend and her boyfriend.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Because of you,_

_I laugh a little harder,_

_Cry a little less,_

_And smile a little more._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: … I can't wait for hell to break loose. Poor Videl, not knowing what's about to happen to her. BOOM! It was fun writing the utopian setting and all, but I reaaaally wanna jump into the juicy part! Dx Guess we'll have to wait a bit longer, before I finally stray away from the exposition. Pooey. :P**

**Well, hope you guys liked this chapter! ,x) It was a nice, 6,000 word chapter (excluding author notes). After about 4,000, I'm toast but I want to write as best I could for this fic so I spend a lot of time making it as good as possible, also trying to get it out as fast as my schedule will allow me to. Other than the fight scene, there's not much action taking place. This chapter is more like easing into the plot and introducing the setting and characters and stuff ,x) Forgive me if there's any typos and whatnot. I have yet to take a proper creative writing class, which I intend to do soon! :D **

**Hmm... This is also my first time writing a fight scene. Like, ever. Hope it didn't suck too much guys! Dx And please don't hate me for the Marker/Videl thing going on! Dx Trust me, it's relevant for the plot to progress (sort of). So I ask of you to please have an open mind. I also wouldn't have labeled this G/V if it wasn't in the first place! ,xD I'm a hard-core G/V fan! So please be patient guys! They'll get together… eventually :P Oh ho ho ho… *evil grin***

**Oh, and also feel free to criticize me! :D I like receiving constructive criticism because it can help me grow as a writer, and how to improve. x) Of course getting compliments are amazing but when I get a nice, critical review, it also sort of reminds me not to get conceited or ahead of myself. You know what I mean? The idea of being overly egotistical is just… urgh… -_-; So I guess being set straight is good for my health, haha ,xD Plus, I like to know what my readers think! Am I going to fast? Should I get more in depth? More dialogue is needed, yes indeedy yup yup. Stuff like that is good to know x) So far, I feel like I'm improving, and I'm lovin' it! :D**

**Also, after every end of the second chapter, I like to mention my **_**UPDATE**_** schedule (yush, this has been capitalized, bolded, underlined, and italicized to get your attention xD ). I'm sad to say that this is the last update this week. I can only update on Fridays or Saturdays, or when school's out for the holidays. )'x For more info, look at my profile under "Updates" and it will explain to you the reasons why -_-; Sorry guys! D'x**

**Anyhoo, thanks for reading and listening to my rambles! :D Gah! I need to stop babbling! Dx Hopefully I'll stop procrastinating and get into a better writing/updating habit! ,xP Now I gotta go FINISH MY HOMEWORK! Dx Ciao!**

_[*Laughs hysterically* EDITED! But then again, I can't be too sure… :P ] __**– 2/9/13**_


	3. Weekend Plans

**A/N: Eeep! Sorry for this suuuper late update guys! Dx Real life has been catching up to me and finding time to write has been becoming more difficult… *sigh* Anyways, back to the story! :D It will be progressing at a nice, easy-going pace ^_^ Well, at least I think it will be :P As for the prologue, it will pretty much be ignored until further chapters. Watch out for bread crumbs though, because I'll be dropping some occasional ones! xD This is my attempt at being sneaky~ *hums to the Mission Impossible theme song* MWUAHAHA! … I suck at being sneaky… T^T But hey, a girl can try…**

**Oh, and for those wondering who the mysterious girl is, *suspenseful voice* you shall have to see… MY LIPS ARE SEALED! By the way, I'm on ****Winter Break****! That's why I'm updating on the weekday. Aaaaanyways, enjoy! ;D**

**chaos267: **Whoa! Another fast reply! Haha, glad you're liking the twists so far xD And about when Gohan and Videl will get together… hehe… he… heh… *flees*

**RaiynetheHedgehog: **Yeah, I'm also sad that Videl is with someone other than Gohaaaan~! D'x (I'm the author so I shouldn't be saying that?) But sadly, it's needed for the plot to progress… We'll have to tolerate him a little longer. And thank you as always for the reviews and tips Raiyne :D This chapter will have more dialogue so hope you enjoy! x)

**dude: **Oi! It's duuuude! :D Haha, what can I say? I had sugar! xP And of course not all guys are players! xD I mean, look at Gohan! He's proof! (Although he IS a fictional character :P ) *begins laughing hysterically for no apparent reason; just for the sake of laughing*

**Guest: **Ho hum, still no name I see xP Thank you so much for the review! :D I'm happy you like it so much already! Makes me smile x)

**shadow12:** You, my friend shall have to see… :]

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anymore cheesecake. Someone ate it all who is TOTALLY not me ya know? *Whistles* Oh, and DBZ does not belong to mwuah, nor does the random quotes I find online. No, they somehow originated off the Internet. Fascinating, no?**

**Claimer: I have this suuuper cute panda bear plushie and it's SO CUTE! x3 It looks like it just got out of jail though cuz it's wearing a striped hoodie D: … I should get it a striped hat too.**

….

**Chapter 3: Weekend Plans**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_A single rose can be my garden…  
A single friend, my world._

_-Leo Buscaglia_

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

The day was still young and humid with the endless blue sky stretching out towards the horizon. Small white puffs of clouds dotted above and moved almost placidly along with the gentle breeze. Sounds of birdsong sang in the air, pleasant melodies seeming to weave itself between leaves of trees to be carried off into the wind. The sun shone overhead, its blinding rays emitting soft waves of heat down the earth, warming up the air around.

It was lunch time and Orange Star High was abuzz with students milling around with their chattering filling the air. Laughter and mischief was in the voices of many as people carried on with their daily lives in school. People moved in groups; some jocks rough-housing and cliques sat on benches sharing the latest gossip.

Those were all the things Videl took notice of as she laid beneath a young oak tree, her slender legs stretched out in front of her. Her back was pressed against the trunk of the oak, the coarse bark rough on her skin. She felt the damp grass beneath her fingers and the smooth wax-like texture of grass rubbing against her palms. It was a beautiful day, and Videl let out a sigh of content, allowing her muscles to relax.

From beneath her spot under the tree, Videl watched as the carefree world played before her. Sitting by her side was Marker, her boyfriend in close proximity to her while eating lunch. His feet were sprawled carelessly in front of him as he leaned back comfortably against the tree. Further to the left was Erasa and Sharpner, the couple leaning in each other's arms enjoying one another's presence. Erasa was happily chatting away with Sharpner as he humored his girlfriend, grinning and nodding every few seconds to indicate that he was listening. Videl was engaged in a conversation with her own boyfriend as well, both giving each other their undivided attention.

"So you took out five of them this morning huh, V? That's pretty impressive!" Marker was saying, his voice laced with excitement whenever he was talking about fighting. Videl smirked a bit at her boyfriend's giddiness before responding.

"Tch, not really," Videl said nonchalantly, lying back casually and waving off the compliment. "Those guys were hardly a challenge. Even you could probably take them on without breaking much sweat." Her mind replayed the events from earlier that day when she assisted in another bank robbery. The goons were hardly even able to stand a chance against her. Sure, they could hold their ground for a few seconds, but that was all she needed to take them down. Like she said, they weren't a challenge. They were just your everyday goons with no skill whatsoever in fighting and relied of cheap guns to do their dirty work.

"Yeah, but still, it's pretty amazing to be able to single handedly take down that many opponents," Marker said, casting a proud look towards her. Videl blushed a bit from all the attention. He looked really handsome with his smile. Prideful as she is, she turned her head away, forcing down the blush dusting her cheeks.

From the side, Sharpner laughed before punching him on the arm. "You better watch out then Mark! Having a girlfriend stronger than you is pretty pathetic! Even now she could wipe the floor with you!" he joked.

"Hey! And _you _should be talking?! Last I checked, you couldn't even last a minute with her!" Marker defended before returning the punch. The two jocks began to wrestle as Videl and Erasa watched their boyfriends in amusement.

"Boys," Erasa said, rolling her eyes dramatically. Videl grunted in agreement as she bit off a mouthful of sandwich. She watched as Marker managed to pin Sharpner down, before Sharpner turned the tables and found himself with the upperhand. The two had sort of a friendly rivalry towards each other; they were always competing to show who was better of the two. So far they seemed on par, with Sharpner in the lead with a slighter advantage. In fact, the two boys could probably give Videl a run for her money. Both were one of the top martial arts students at her father's dojo. Videl outclassed them but either boys were skilled enough to hold their own against her for almost a good fifteen minutes, which was pretty impressive in terms of fighting. Although they improved significantly, they had yet to defeat her though and Videl wasn't planning on letting that happen soon. After all, she had a title to uphold.

"Videl, you should stop them before one of them gets hurt," said Erasa, concern in her voice. Sharpner had Marker in a headlock and Marker looked about ready to gnaw off his arm. Videl sighed before standing up and brushing herself off.

"Boys!" she snapped, her sapphire eyes narrowing dangerously. She placed her hands on her hips and sent them her notorious Satan Glare that was known for bringing grown men bawling at her feet. Immediately, the jocks froze up. A glance up at her sent them scattering away from each other, none wanting to be on the receiving end of her wrath. Once she was satisfied, Videl sat back down, easing next to Marker's side again.

"Yeah! Score one for the Sharpster!" Sharpner boasted while pumping his fist in triumph. Marker scoffed.

"Whatever. I was going easy on you! Next time, you won't be so lucky," the challenge was clear in his voice as he defended his pride. Sharpner picked up on the hidden challenge, and too prideful to back down, the two began bickering back and forth, about to deck it out on each other with an epic thumb war.

Videl and Erasa glanced at each other, shaking their heads in amusement.

"There they go again," Videl commented. By now, she was used to their daily show of brawns so both girls were used to this daily ordeal. She took a swig of water, drinking deeply.

"Boys will be boys," Erasa giggled fondly at her boyfriend, who was still caught up in a heated battle. The match was close, with Marker having the slight advantage as perspiration rolled down his head. A look of intense concentration shone in his eyes as his tongue slightly peeked out in anticipation. Erasa turned back towards Videl.

"Anyways," she said brightly, switching subjects, "me and Sharpie were thinking about going on a date this weekend, and I thought it would be great if you and Marker tagged along!" The bubbly blonde clasped her hands in barely concealed excitement.

Videl sputtered on her drink. Erasa leaned in anticipation for her coughing fit to stop. When it passed and Videl's breathing finally leveled out, she turned to her blonde friend with her face contorted in slight horror.

"You mean… like a double date?" she managed to get out. Videl cringed at the idea. It wasn't the date itself she had a problem with. Rather, it was _who _she was going with. Namely, Erasa. Now, Videl loved her friend like a sister, but Erasa had this horrible tendency to go overboard on dates. Whenever the girl wanted her to go somewhere, she found herself abused with layers of makeup and clothes. Okay, maybe that was exaggerating much, but what she meant was that Videl would not be able to leave her house until Erasa deemed her 'fit' for her date. This usually required significant amounts of time and energy to do so. After each session, Videl would find herself drained and void of all life long before the date even started.

"Aw, come on Vi!" whined Erasa, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "You make it sound like your life's about to end!"

"Erasa, you know how I feel about dressing up! I hate it!" Videl argued back. She shot a pleading glance at Marker, who was too caught up in winning his thumb war against Sharpner to notice, much less care. Stupid boy.

Videl mentally face-palmed herself before focusing her attention back to Erasa.

"Pleeeease Videl?" her friend pleaded. "I promise I won't dress you in pink or anything like that!" At that, her bright emerald green eyes began to water up in dismay and her lower lip trembled. The two locked eyes for a few moments. As the seconds passed, Erasa's eyes grew larger and more woeful and Videl could feel her resolve slowly weakening. She groaned mentally. She sometimes cursed her friend for knowing her so well; she knew how to press the right buttons.

"Urgh! Fine! I'll go! But no pink!" Videl threw her hands up in aggravation, finally caving in to her friend's pleas. She knew that no amount of protesting would stop Erasa from pursuing her goal. Once Erasa's mind was set on something, there was no stopping her. Both girls knew it was only a matter of time before Erasa won their battle, and frankly, Videl wasn't up for the mental consequences that came along with it. So she decided it was best to satisfy her friend first for the sake of her own sanity. Besides, one teeny date couldn't be _that _bad… could it?

Erasa clasped her hands together in glee and she grinned victoriously. "Great!" she squealed, tackling Videl in a giant hug. "You won't regret this Vi, I promise!"

"And where have I heard that one before?" she groaned. A glance at the cheeky grin on Erasa's face made her already start to regret her decision.

At this point, the boys _finally _ended their epic duel of thumb wars and were now curious as to what was going on.

"Won't regret what, babe?" asked Sharpner, running his hand through his golden locks. By the slightly grumpy look on his face, Videl noted that he had probably lost his battle against Marker. A glance at her boyfriend said that he indeed had a victorious grin molded on his face.

"Oh, you know, about that date we're having this Saturday," Erasa giggled, sliding her hand around Sharpner's arms. "Videl agreed to go! Now all that's left is Marker!" She glanced at Marker expectantly.

Marker nodded and slid down next to Videl, sliding his arm around her waist. A burst of butterflies washed up her stomach. "Sure, I'm free this Saturday, and besides, I'd like to spend time with Videl." He grinned down at her and gave her hand a squeeze, causing Videl to feel slightly fuzzy inside. Now if any other boy were to touch her like that, she would probably send him to the hospital with minor concussions. Of course, there were exceptions to every rule.

Erasa clapped her hands happily. "Alright! Now that's settled! Since tomorrow's the weekend, we don't have much homework so far! This is perfect!" Before she could rant on about the places they'd go and the stuff they'd wear, Videl decided to intervene before her ears would explode from her voice.

"Hey, has anyone seen Gohan?" she interrupted, hastily trying to change the subject. It seemed to have worked, since suddenly the group's attention refocused on the said boy.

"Yeah, speaking of Brains, where is he?" questioned Sharpner. Videl knew that the word 'Brains' was just a friendly nickname Sharpner conjured up for Gohan. It was in by no means mean, but just a name he didn't mind being associated with.

"That's weird," Erasa said, furrowing her brows. "Gohan's usually never late for lunch."

In fact, Gohan, was rarely _ever _late for lunch, especially since food was involved (that boy can _eat_). He would always be first out the door once the bell rang, speeding down the hallways as if his life depended on it. During the occasional times he _was _late, it was usually to do quick tasks like making a quick phone call or going to the bathroom. Overall, he was always the first to be outside under their usual spot beneath the tree, shoveling his face at speeds fast enough to give someone a whiplash. So his uncharacteristic absence was definitely out of the ordinary, if not suspicious.

"I don't see what the fuss is about. Nerd-Boy probably found a woman or something."

Three pairs of eyes turned towards the source of the voice.

"What?" Marker mumbled, shrugging indifferently as he chewed on a muffin. "It's not like he has much of a life to begin with. He's just a nerd."

"Marker!" Videl chastised. "He's our _friend_! Look, I know you and Gohan aren't on the greatest terms but the least you could do is _try _to be nicer." The term 'Nerd-Boy' was the first name Gohan was labeled as before Sharpner switched for the friendlier 'Brains'. The old name still stuck with Marker though, and it didn't seem like it was about to leave anytime soon.

Marker sighed, running a hand through his hair before saying "Look, let's just forget I even said anything okay?"

Videl frowned. Lately Marker had been getting more on edge for some reason, and it usually happened when Gohan was in the picture. She had no idea what the two boys had against each other, but she had the intuition that Marker had quite a dislike towards Gohan. For what reasons why, she had no idea, but she still didn't like her best friend and boyfriend fighting.

Gohan was nice to anybody, and Marker certainly wasn't excluded. He treated him just like any friend would and Videl didn't recall any incident where he managed to offend Marker in anyway. Marker, however, was slightly more hostile to the boy. To everyone else, he had that easy going smile but towards Gohan, there was a faint resentment in his eyes, something Videl occasionally caught. She hadn't thought much of it, casting it away for some other time but she's been noticing it surface for frequently.

Before Videl could question Marker any further about his behavior, she was interrupted by the rustling of feet behind her.

"Hi guys! Sorry I'm late!" came Gohan's voice, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The group turned around to see their friend jogging towards them. In his hand he was holding a food capsule and the other was clutching the brown bag he always wore. His obsidian orbs were alight with its typical radiant happiness, and the same goofy smile that seemed permanent on his face broadened as he caught sight of his friends. His unruly hair for some unfathomable reason had twigs and leaves in them.

Momentarily dismissing all conversation with Marker for later, Videl grinned amusedly at her best friend. "Hey Gohan," she said simply while waving her hand. She scooted over to make room for him.

"'Sup Brains," Sharpner addressed with a cocky grin.

"Gohan! Where were you?! You were like, super late today!" Erasa exclaimed, bubbly as ever. Gohan slid into the space Videl made for him before scratching his back sheepishly in his typical manner.

"Sorry! I forgot my lunch in my locker!" he laughed sheepishly. Videl rose her brow questionably.

"Really Gohan, ten minutes late _just_ to get your food?" she mused. "I don't think it would take _that _long to get your meal Gohan."

At that, the boy's cheeks began to redden very slightly and he began to flail his arms out in defense.

"No no! Not just that!" he protested with his voice slightly panicked. "I was hiding!"

"Hiding?" Videl questioned, her curiosity starting to peak. That seemed to have caught group's attention, as four heads turned in his direction waiting for him to continue. Gohan was nodding vigorously, obviously unnerved by something.

"Yeah! There's this girl named Angela and she keeps following me! And it's really starting to freak me out!" he exclaimed. Videl could see his eye twitch and hear the uneasiness in his voice.

There was a moment of silence before Sharpner bursted out laughing, slapping his hand to his forehead in hysterics. "Of _course_ you would be hiding from her, Brains!" he howled, tears starting to form in the corner of his eye. "Only you would hide from a girl!" From beside him, Marker was also thrown into fits, pounding his fist on the ground too caught up in laughing to speak.

Erasa ignored her boyfriend's childishness and instead grinned, mirth sparkling in her eyes. "Of course you would be hiding sweetie," she giggled, pinching the dark-haired boy's cheek. "Angela _can _get pretty creepy when she chases after a new guy." Gohan rubbed his cheek in protest, pouting.

"It's not funny!" he complained while folding his arms, "She kept trying to get my number and stuff. She wouldn't stop chasing me!"

"So then how did you manage to evade her?" Videl asked, raising her brow. She's seen him run and her friend was by no means slow (after all, how else would he be first out the door every day?).

Gohan paled before replying, "I hid in the janitor's closet, which had a window open, luckily." That explained the twigs in his hair.

"Harsh," Videl commented with a little sympathy for her friend. Videl knew that Angela was notorious for getting a new boyfriend weekly, and apparently Gohan was now at the top of her list. She was quite impressed though, because it must've taken a lot of talent to catch up with Gohan while in heels. Hopefully, the girl may give up by the end of the week but if not… well, she could only pray for his soul.

By now, Marker and Sharpner were reduced to chuckles and sobered up enough to actually make decent conversation.

"Don't sweat it Nerd-Boy," Marker chuckled half-jokingly. "Just leave it to us big guys and we'll protect you," he cooed. Videl caught on with the slight mockery in his tone and she elbowed her boyfriend. He grunted in discomfort.

"Uh, thanks. I guess…" Gohan said, voice trailing off with uncertainty. Videl was grateful for his obliviousness, as he was completely unaware to the fact that Marker was in a way taunting him. As she observed earlier, Marker held some untold resentment towards the teen.

She frowned, about to speak but was interrupted when a loud rumble resounded from her left. Videl glanced at her best friend's stomach as he rubbed it sheepishly. His appetite never ceased to amaze her. She often found herself wondering how Gohan could consume massive amounts of food despite being so scrawny.

"I'm staaaaarving!" Gohan groaned childishly before popping his food capsule open. Once the clouds dispersed, it revealed a feast laid out before them. Immediately, Gohan dug in, not bothering to stop to catch a break. His hands were merely a blur as food began to rapidly disappear. Videl sometimes wondered how he was able to breathe, much less swallow.

After the initial disgust faded from their faces, the gang turned back to mingle, by now somewhat used to Gohan and his bizarre eating habits. Erasa was discussing date plans with Sharpner and Videl was relieved to be apart from the conversation for a while. Marker was still glancing at Gohan with disbelief on his face.

"How can you eat that much?!" he exclaimed, a hint of disgust in his voice. "It's gross!"

Videl elbowed him in warning. As much as she cared for her boyfriend, she cared for her best friend too and didn't appreciate his rude comment.

Gohan paused momentarily in his feeding frenzy and glanced at Marker. "It's heredity," he simply shrugged before mercifully attacking his meal again.

Marker's mouth was agape, looking as if to comment more but Videl tugged on his sleeve before he could say something nasty.

"Marker, I want to talk to you for a sec," Videl said, grabbing her boyfriend's arm once Gohan began inhaling his massive feast, oblivious to the world around him.

"Sure," he said, getting to his feet. Erasa shot Videl a questionable look to which Videl motioned for her not to worry about it. The two walked to the side of the school building where Videl knew no one could eavesdrop on them. Once hidden in the shadow of the building, Videl turned around facing Marker, arms crossed as she regarded her boyfriend with seriousness on her face.

"What's up babe?" he asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he cupped the side of her cheek. Videl ignored it and shrugged his hand away (though a bit reluctantly, she must admit) and decided to cut to the chase; she was never one to beat around the bush anyways.

"What's with you and Gohan?" she deadpanned. Her voice left no room for argument and she could see the smile fade away from his lips at the name.

"What about him?" he asked nonchalantly, but his muscles tensed for just a millisecond, giving away his calm demeanor in that short fraction of time. Videl's gaze drifted up to Marker's, her eyes locking with his.

"Cut the act Marker," she said. "I'm not blind. I can tell you don't like Gohan, and I want to know what's on your mind." Videl cared deeply for both men; they were important to her. She wanted to know why they were so edgy around each other, especially Marker. She wanted her best friend and boyfriend to actually get along.

Marker held his hands up in front of him in a carefree manner. "Videl, I have nothing against him, honest." He laughed lightly, trying to ease the atmosphere. It did not work.

"Marker…" she said almost threateningly. The tone in her voice was authoritive, demanding in a 'shut-up-and-don't-give-me-a-bull-so-give-me-a-proper-answer-already' kind of tone. Videl hated dishonesty, and she was no fool. It didn't take a genius to tell he was avoiding the subject. She knew Marker knew too, and his expression lost its amusement as he realized he was not going anywhere until he answered his girlfriend properly.

"Fine…" he murmured, running a hand through his messy dark hair. "It's just that… he rubs me the wrong way."

Videl raised a brow. "How so?" she asked.

"It's—" by now, Marker's face was starting to redden from embarrassment and his gaze was now averted towards the ground. Videl nodded slightly, prompting him to go on.

"—the way he way he looks at you."

Videl blinked "Looks at me?" she questioned, unsure where he was going with this. People looked at her all the time, and Marker never flipped out about it. And whenever Gohan looked at her, it was more like a friendly way; just a smile between friends.

"Yeah, you know, he stares at you like he wants something more."

There was a pause of silence before Videl keeled over in hysterics.

"Marker, are you saying that you feel _threatened _by Gohan?!" she chuckled. The idea was absolutely hysterical. Was Marker—dare she say—jealous? He really had no reason to; it was all a misunderstanding. Videl harbored no romantic feelings towards Gohan, and she was completely sure he felt the same. They were best friends—close ones at that—but that's all they were; nothing else. There was no way Videl could imagine herself with Gohan. He was her _best friend_ for goodness' sake. The idea of sweet, timid, little Gohan and her dating was comical. If he was here, she knew he would laugh too. Besides, if there was someone she liked, it was Marker, who by now looked offended.

"Hey! I'm serious!" he exclaimed. His face was red from her laughing, as well as a bit hurt. Immediately she sobered up, holding in her chuckles. "You two are so close and it feels like he's taking you away from me."

Videl's expression immediately softened up. She placed a comforting hand in his. Usually she wouldn't take initiative during times like this; Marker was much better at it than her, but she was starting to feel more daring.

"Don't worry Marker, there's nothing to worry about. Me and Gohan are just friends. There's nothing between us, I promise. You have nothing to be worried about."

"But still—" he started but Videl silenced him.

"Gohan's just a generally nice person," she said, ignoring the displeased look on his face for interrupting him. "He's nice to Erasa right?"

"Yeah…" Marker responded, not sure what she meant.

"And does Sharpner make a big deal out of it?"

"Well, no…" his voice trailed off. Videl smiled.

"See? You have nothing to worry about. Gohan's just a friend, that's all."

Marker sighed, still a bit unconvinced. "Okay, if you say so," he said, scratching his head. His eyes then narrowed. "But if he touches you, he'll regret it," he almost growled. Videl shot her boyfriend a look and she folded her arms.

"Marker, I said _don't worry_," she said. She sighed in frustration. "Look, I want you guys getting along okay? And since its come to this," Videl snapped her fingers. "I've come to a decision. I want you to invite Gohan on our date tomorrow."

His jaw dropped in disbelief. Marker began to protest but Videl cut him off. "Gohan's coming and that's final," she said stubbornly. There was no changing her mind.

"But why?!" Marker exclaimed in disbelief. "I thought you didn't want to go in the first place!"

"Exactly!" she responded. "I figure that if I were to suffer, I'm bringing you two along with me! And besides, it would be a good opportunity for you to be nicer to Gohan too."

"He doesn't have a date though," Marker smirked, as if he just figured out the cure for cancer. Videl though, was a step ahead of him.

"Then we'll find him a date," she snapped. "And you'll find him one."

Marker opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut when he stared into his girlfriend's eyes. He knew that no amount of persuasion could turn back time now.

"Fine," he grumbled as they walked back towards the tree. "But I'm not going to guarantee anything."

By now, their friends had been done eating and were making idle chit-chat. As Videl and Marker approached, Gohan looked up from his conversation with Sharpner and he flashed a smile. Marker glared daggers at him, which bounced right off of him. It did not go unnoticed by Videl.

"Ask him," she whispered, nudging him.

Marker reluctantly walked towards Gohan and tapped him sharply on the shoulder. Gohan glanced up with that usual small grin on his face.

"Yeah?" he said amiably.

Videl could see the corner of Marker's eye twitch. "Nerd-Boy—" that earned a sharp elbow to the stomach.

"—Gohan," he corrected before continuing. "Tomorrow all of us are having a get-together and we were wondering if you'd like to come," he managed to get out and Videl was slightly proud he pulled it off with a relatively straight face, if not stiff. Atta boy.

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh no, it's fine. I wouldn't want to intrude or anything," he replied, waving his arms and Marker's expression considerably brightened.

"Great—" he started but Videl promptly cut in before he could finish that sentence.

"—what he was _saying_," she glanced pointedly at him before turning to look back at Gohan, "is that you're not intruding at all! In fact, we even got someone to go with you too!"

Gohan seemed to contemplate the offer as Videl waited patiently for his reply. After a few seconds, his face lit up in a smile. "Okay!" he said cheerfully. "It's just a friend get-together right? I'll go if that's alright with you."

Videl sweatdropped, deciding to not bother correcting him. Technically, it _was _a get-together, but it was also a triple date (with Erasa and Sharpner). But he didn't need to know that and hey, he was going so what did it matter?

At that moment, the lunch bell rang and the group got up pack their things. Marker looked decidedly grumpier, but as the day progressed, he was starting to recover, which relieved Videl. She could only hope that tomorrow's date would go well.

….

"Hey Videl? Does Marker have something against me?"

Videl looked up in surprise from her book. School was over and they were in the library, working on a project they were assigned a few days ago. In the dusty old room, natural light filtered through the wide, open windows, casting soft golden hues among the walls and shelves of the library. From her position in her wooden seat, her eyes met startling onyx ones that were filled with concern. The warm light blanketing them from the setting sun made his eyes and hair almost take on a reddish-brown hue to it, in contrast with his pale, smooth skin.

"What do you mean?" she asked casually. Her voice felt a bit thick as she tried to pass the comment on nonchalantly. She twirled with the pencil in her ear, flipping the next page of her book.

Those dark orbs blinked at her and a soft sigh escaped his lips.

"Videl, I may be naïve, but I'm not stupid," Gohan said, leaning forward in his chair so that they were at eye level with each other. Videl swallowed as his eyes took on an uncharacteristic intensity to it. She was used to her friend being silly and goofy, and this sudden display of seriousness felt odd to her. It didn't fit him quite as well and Videl was having hard time looking away.

"I know that Marker doesn't like me, and I was wondering if you knew why," he continued, his eyes never leaving her face. Videl gulped before a small grin spread its way across her face.

"You know, I had a conversation like this earlier," she said, fiddling with her pencil between her fingers. It felt smooth and cool as it pressed against her skin.

"And the funny thing is, Marker thinks we have something going on between us," she laughed softly. She really couldn't lie to her friend. There was something that made it hard to lie to him, and that innocent face didn't make matters any better.

As predicted, Gohan also chuckled along with her, their gentle laughter twining together in sync, filling the empty room with warmth.

"Really?" he said, eyes sparkling with mirth. He was clearly amused and Videl's smile broadened. "No offense Videl, but you and I, I can't imagine happening."

"Right? And none taken," she laughed, a genuine sound bursting from her lips. It felt good to laugh with her best friend. "I told him the same thing!"

The two sat there for a while, bathing in one another's presence. To Videl, Gohan was like family, like the brother she never had. She was completely at ease around him; comfortable. She could talk to him about almost anything and know that her secrets were safe and whatever she told him would stay. It was one of the things she liked about Gohan; he was always ready to listen to her, to lend her an ear. He was probably the one person that understood her more than herself, and the only person who would not judge her.

If someone were to ask if she loved him, she did, but in a more brotherly way. She really did have no romantic feelings towards Gohan. She didn't share the same attraction for him like she did for Marker. Sure, Gohan was a total sweetheart, as Erasa would put it, but he didn't strike her as a romantic interest. Like she said, he was more of a brother to her than boyfriend material.

The attraction she felt for Marker was different though. Whereas Gohan made her feel at ease and comfortable, Marker made her feel alive; he gave her a spark of addictive energy that she relished in. Although sometimes a bit reckless, he was unpredictable and fun to be around when he wasn't occasionally grumpy. He could also be sweet too, as well as a bit possessive but Videl kind of liked that, knowing that he cared. He was quite enigmatic too, which Videl noticed she found attractive. She tended to like mysterious boys; maybe because she wanted to know more about them and uncover the secrets that surrounded them.

Actually, Gohan was pretty mysterious himself but Videl never really fussed about it. He was just her friend, and she content with that.

As their laughter finally reduced to chuckles, Videl's ice-blue eyes met Gohan's warm ones and they grinned at each other.

"Well, I think it's about time we pack up now," Gohan announced, breaking the comfortable silence. "We're almost done anyways, and we could finish the project next week." Videl nodded in agreement as they began to pack up.

"That was some hard work!" Videl exclaimed, stretching out her stiff muscles. They'd been working for almost two hours and the library was about to close.

"Nah, the history project isn't _that _bad Videl," Gohan chuckled at his friend's laziness. He gathered up a pile of textbooks and tossed it in his bag.

Videl crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue playfully. "Nerd," she said, but the lightness in her tone implied that she was just joking. Gohan grinned back humorously and pretended to hold up his hands in mock offense.

"Oh, you offend me Miss Satan," he joked. "What did I _ever _do to receive such cruel treatment?"

Videl laughed and smacked him lightly on the arm. "You're such a dork!" she said. They continued to joke as friends would as they walked out of the library. The sun was starting to set and the sky was gradually transforming into a stunning portrait of vibrant orange and pink.

Just as they were about to bid goodbye, Gohan suddenly tugged on Videl's sleeve, indicating that she wait. His carefree smile was gone, taking on that same expression from earlier, the semi-serious one, and it immediately drew Videl's attention. His onyx eyes were slightly hardened in concern and Videl could read the small urgency in his voice.

"What is it Gohan?" she asked, curious as to why her friend was acting so strange today.

"Videl, it's about Marker," he said, seriousness in his tone. "I know you like him and he's a great guy, but I can't help but have this feeling that there's something off about him."

Videl blinked up at him incredulously. "What do you mean?" she asked. This was definitely odd behavior coming from Gohan; he was never this serious unless the situation called for him to be.

"Well, I've been hearing rumors about him, and let's just say they're not pretty," he answered. Videl's eyes began to spark with anger in defense of her boyfriend but Gohan shushed her before she could snap at him.

"Videl, I know they're just rumors and I doubt they're true, but I'm just saying this as a concerned friend that you should be careful okay? He might not be who you think he is."

If any other boy told this to her, she would hurt them, thinking that they had some ulterior motive. But this was Gohan, her best friend, and to be honest, he couldn't lie to save his life. She knew that he was being utterly honest and was genuinely concerned for her well-being. She knew he was honestly worried for her just by looking in his eyes; Gohan's eyes were like a mirror. They always reflected what he felt and she knew that he meant no harm by his statement; just a message from a worried friend. He was just worried for his best friend, and Videl sighed, deciding against lashing out at the boy. His intentions were good and she trusted him. Gohan had probably the most kindest, earnest soul in the whole world. He would never intentionally hurt her.

Videl sent a small smile up at him. "Don't worry Gohan, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." To prove her point, she punched him in the arm, feeling a little throbbing of her own at impact. She dismissed it.

Gohan simply laughed as he slipped back into his carefree personality. "I know you are, but just be careful okay?"

"Kami, Gohan! You're just like a nagging old woman!"

He simply just laughed again. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then Videl! See ya!" he said before walking down the pathway opposite to hers.

"See ya," she replied. Videl watched as her best friend's back disappeared from her view before she started home herself. Usually she would fly her jetcopter but today, she felt like walking, enjoying the weather while it lasted. She needed the fresh air anyways, to clear her head.

Her mind was out of it though, as she kept replaying their conversation from earlier. She wondered what was up with the guys these days. First, Marker and his resentment towards Gohan. Then, her best friend warning her to be careful around her boyfriend. Where was all this suspicion coming from? Was there something Marker wasn't telling her?

_He might not be who you think he is._

Videl shook her head to clear her thoughts. She started on her feet again, walking towards home as the last rays of sunlight began to fade.

Now she was left wondering what Gohan meant by that.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Friends are like stars on cloudy nights, _

_you can't always see them but they're always there._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: *Falls over out of breath* Oh my… finally finished writing this… I kept rewriting this chapter 'cause I didn't like it and I couldn't get the characters right :\ I hope I managed to keep them in character pretty well! Sorry if this seemed rushed or anything; I'm trying to take it slooooow but not sure how that's working out! ,xD**

**And uh-oh, it seems Videl thinks that Gohan is 'just a friend'. Guess we'll have to change that then, don't we? ;]**

**Oh, and just as a reminder, this is EVENTUAL G/V! Just in case before you guys decide run me over ,xD I also changed the title of the story because I thought it would suit it more. It's not much different, but oh whale~ And remember, any constructive criticism is welcomed! :D**

**Well! See you later guys! x)**

_[This has been (supposedly) edited! x3 Awesomeness.] –__**2/9/13 **_


	4. Group Outing

**A/N: Hi my wonderful readers! Sorry for the delay of this chapter D: I got grounded for a little and a bunch of other mumbo-jumbo so I couldn't update sooner Dx But hey, here I am, and here's chapter four for you all! Enjoy! :)**

**And I'm super happy! 7 reviews! x) Thank you so much everyone! :D This always puts a smile on my face ^-^ You're all too sweet!**

**dude: **Haha, you're right! Sugar is dangerous! xD Anyways, glad you're eager! :D I'm not exactly sure of the plot myself ,xD I've got it set out, mainly about high school drama and stuff. And no worries, *speaks in wise monk voice* time will reveal the answers you seek~ :P … egad, I sound like Yoda e_e;

**shadow12: **Thanks! :) But in this fic, there will be no Gold Fighter/Saiyaman. Gohan doesn't fight crime. Sorry! x( However…. That statement is making me reconsider… *laughs maniacally* BRILLIANT! I just had an idea! Friend, you just turned the wheels in my head and flipped the tables around! :D *shakes hand vigorously*

**dp3of5/KaosMoshPit: ***Gasps in horror* How did you know?! xD haaah, just kidding! The start IS rather cliché huh? I'm trying to go about this subtly. Thanks for the honest review_**s**_! :D *cyber high-fives*

**RaiynetheHedgehog: **LOL your rants are so funny! They totally make my day! xD And yup, DON'T TRUST THE MARKER! Gohan's judgment is absolute! x) And no worries, I thought this completely through! :D Mwuahaha…

**sprang141: **My first 2013 reviewer! :D I'm glad you like it so far! Makes me happy… x3 Thanks so much! I'll try to keep them cute for a while, but not for long! xD Har har.

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I never did get that hat for my panda plushie. And obviously I don't own DBZ or the quotes.**

**Claimer: I have these lovely ski boots. My dilemma? I can't get it off. It's really hard hopping around the house without denting the floor… story of my life guys.**

…..

**Chapter 4: Group Outing**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Just another memory in time_

_Vague and distant_

_Sometimes I wonder_

_how it was like to go back?_

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

Videl should've known what she was in for once she agreed to go on that blasted date. However, no amount of mental preparation could prepare her for this.

It was a typical Saturday afternoon and she and Erasa were at the Satan Mansion preparing for their date later in the day. The morning was beautiful; the birds were already out chirping as they danced through the breeze. The sun smiled down on the earth, warming up the chilly air as the clear blue sky stretched endlessly in the horizon. Grass and flowers swayed in the gentle breeze, promising a day of sun and fun. Overall, it was a lazy morning and Videl was happy to comply, intent on catching up with her sleeping needs.

After the previous day filled with crime-fighting, boring school work, and boyfriend drama, the Satan girl believed she could at least get enough shut eye to last her a while. She was actually having quite a peaceful slumber until the hurricane known as Erasa barged into her room like a storm at eight in the morning, armed with bagfuls of makeup and clothes and other ungodly things Videl could ever fathom to think of.

Videl was abruptly awoken from her pleasant sleep as she was unceremoniously dumped on the carpet by her bedside. Erasa apparently believed that this was the most suitable way to wake up the dazed girl, as she had stubbornly refused to acknowledge her moments before. A loud –BANG!—that resounded through the house didn't help her mood any, and she awoke with pain blossoming at the side of her temple. She even sported a nasty bruise to prove it.

The sleep-deprived teen had glowered grouchily at her blonde friend, blinking away sleep from her eyes. Erasa was up and about, pacing viciously around her room and prodding her to 'wake up', for they had a 'long day ahead of them'. This cycle was repeated for several minutes until Videl finally decided it was best to humor her friend before her sanity was blasted to oblivion.

For hours, Erasa had plucked, primed, and molded Videl until she felt like a headless chicken and was deemed fit for their date. That was not an easy task, since Videl put up one hell of a fight to escape the wrath of the blonde. If she thought that was hell, imagine her mortification when Erasa whipped out her many containers of makeup. This ordeal lasted for another good hour, with Erasa miraculously able to wrestle down Videl in many (failed) attempts to 'doll-up' her face, as she would call it. This did not end well, with Videl constantly thrashing in attempt to evade the dreaded makeup and stall for what would be her inevitable demise.

After a couple of threats, lots of screaming, and a few broken vases later, Erasa finally managed to get Videl still long enough to apply as _minimal amount_ of the guck as possible without her looking like a clown. This was not an easy task but with Erasa being Erasa, she managed to prevail, getting away with just a few minor bruises and scratches here and there.

Unfortunately, the two were in another heated debate, this time on whether what shoes Videl had to wear.

"For the last time Erasa," Videl was yelling, "I said, NO PINK!" She was currently on the far end of her bed, using the large furniture as a blockage from the blonde that stood across from her. The said person was holding up a pair of thin, strappy heels that was hideous enough to make anyone look like a hyena.

Erasa frowned. "Videl, this isn't _pink_," she argued back, circling around the bed, almost in a predatory way. Videl mimicked her actions, skillfully evading the _thing _in her hands. After all, she'd had years of practice. "It's mahogany, which is technically a red. And I don't see what's so bad about pink! It's a really cute color you know!"

Videl resisted the urge to gag. The mere sight of the horridly bright and bubbly color made her want to throw up. There were no limits to how much she despised that color; it was literally the worst thing ever to grace the existence of earth (in her opinion). It was too sickingly sweet and bright and gooey that she found it absolutely nauseating. To her, wearing the wretched color was the same as parading around the city shouting, _'Oh hey, look at me! I'm a freaking bubble gum!'_

"Red, mahogany, whatever!" Videl cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "It's the same thing! There is no way in hell I would ever wear that thing!" She stared hatefully at the 'shoes'.

Erasa pouted before finally tossing the heels into the growing pile of orphan shoes. With a sigh, she turned around to fish out something new from her infinite bag of stilettos. Videl continued to eye her warily, ready to leap away at a moment's notice.

"How about these?" Erasa suggested, holding something up for Videl to see. Dangling from her fingertips were sandals studded with bright blue gemstones. Very sparkly gemstones. "It matches your eyes," she said hopefully. Videl shook her head in distaste.

"Are you serious?" she scoffed, crossing her arms in a stubborn manner. "I might as well blind someone with all the—"

She never got to finish that sentence because at that moment, Erasa pounced.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

Videl wasn't sure if there was _anything_ that could possibly worsen her already spoiled mood.

After the long, mortifying hours stuck with Erasa and her evil-fashion-makeover-from-hell get-up, Videl was determined to never let the girl choose her outfits again. As much as she loved the girl, she would no doubt be the end of her.

They were currently waiting outside of a shop for their dates to arrive. Sharpner had surprisingly been the first to meet there, well before Videl and Erasa had appeared. Marker made it right on the dot. The only people that had yet to show their face was Gohan and his mystery date. Videl had no clue on who it was since she had left that task to Marker. She would've asked him sooner but with all the mortifying events from that morning, she never had the chance to. So far, no one else had yet to make an appearance.

After ten minutes had passed, the incomplete group was starting to grow restless. The at-first comforting sun was by now beating down on them, the heat gradually becoming unbearable. Beads of sweat were starting to roll down their foreheads.

Sharpner groaned in annoyance. "Where the hell is Brains?" he complained, trying to blink the sun out of his eyes.

"Nerd-Boy's always late to class, figures he'd be late here too," Marker grumbled under his breath. Videl couldn't help but agree with her boyfriend. Usually she would defend her friend, but she was also becoming antsy with his time delay. If it was one thing Videl was not good at, it was waiting, and her patience was quickly running thin.

Videl wished Gohan would hurry up. She just wanted to get this day over with and relax. With all the things that happened to her that morning, all she wanted to do was have a good time with her friends and forget about her misadventures with Erasa and her wardrobe.

Five more minutes passed and the two missing in action had yet to arrive. As Videl and Marker started to get more agitated, surprisingly, Erasa and Sharpner showed no more signs of their earlier disdain. Either it was because they had the hidden patience of a saint or maybe it was just them shamelessly making out in public. Videl decided the reason was more in favor of the second option.

Either way, it made no difference from the fact that no one had _still _yet to arrive. Videl was ready to call up her friend and give him a piece of her mind. But before she could reach for her mobile device, a familiar mound of spiky ebony hair appeared from the passing crowd.

Son Gohan's tall, lithe form appeared in all its glory of baggy white shirts and red sweat pants. The only thing missing from his typical school clothes was that dorky vest and badge he always wore. The usual naïve grin printed on his face almost chased away her anger from earlier (who could stay mad at a face like that?) and Videl almost screamed hallelujah that their long awaited person had finally arrived so they could just leave.

She was still mad at him though.

As soon as the boy was in a five-yard radius of her, Videl zoned in on what he was wearing. She huffed in annoyance and folded her arms in anger. If her best friend was able to wear what he wore _every day,_ then why did _she _have to dress up?! Videl wanted to scream and punch something.

"Hi guys! Sorry I'm late!" Gohan said sheepishly, rubbing his back in a nervous manner. There was a mixed reaction from the audience, with Sharpner nodding in greeting and Erasa breaking out into a large grin. Marker grunted and stubbornly turned his head to the side, not attempting to acknowledge the teen. Gohan did not notice as he finally reduced the space between them and a winning smile was stretched on his face. Then his face morphed into surprise when he got a proper glimpse at Videl.

"Videl, is that you?" he exclaimed, surprise in his voice. "Wow, you look so different I barely recognized you!" From beside her, she could feel Marker go rigid and a low, inaudible growl escaped his lips. She nudged him warningly to keep his cool.

"Hey Gohan," Videl greeted, "and yeah, Erasa managed to get to me." She shot an accusing glare towards Erasa, somewhat half-heartedly. She grinned back, glowing with pride.

"Doesn't Vi look great?!" she boasted. "I finally got that stubborn girl out of that T-shirt of hers!"

"Hey! It isn't _that_ bad!" Videl defended. Other than her shirt, nothing much changed about her, aside from her hair caught up in a ponytail instead of its usual pigtails and her feet were adorned with combat boots. Great for on-the-go crime-fighting. "Anyways, what made you so late?" she said to Gohan, eager to get the subject off of her clothes.

"I got lost," he stated simply, an embarrassed blush slightly dusting his cheeks. Erasa, Sharpner, and Videl exchanged glances. Leave it to Gohan to get lost but they knew he wasn't from around here and seldom ever went to the city except for school purposes. Marker, however, was not in with the loop and his anger from earlier was starting to boil over.

"You got _lost?!_" Marker snapped, waves of irritation radiating in his voice. "Where do you live Nerd-Boy, in a mountain?!" Videl stepped sharply on his toe and he flinched in slight pain. They were having an awful habit of doing that.

Gohan blinked innocently. "Actually, I do. How did you know?" he asked, oblivious to the tone in his voice. No one decided to answer him.

"Er, why don't we just go now?" Sharpner hastily suggested, trying to steer away the awkward subject. He gestured down the road, motioning for them to follow. From beside him, Erasa grinned, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, there's this lovely new café I saw the other day and we've still got an hour before our movie starts!" Erasa chirped, slipping her arm around Sharpner's. At the word 'café,' Gohan's expression lit up like a child of Christmas day and his obsidian eyes gleamed.

"Great!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'm starving!" At that, a loud rumble resounded from his stomach, much resembling a lion. There was a long pause as the group regarded their friend with a mixture of disgust and amusement.

"Anyways," Videl coughed, breaking the silence. "Let's go. I'm kind of hungry myself."

"Not yet," said Marker. "We've still got another person coming." The group, save for Videl, turned their gazes at him in curiosity.

"Who?" Videl asked on behalf of the others. Even she had yet to know who else was coming, except that it would be Gohan's blind date. Knowing Gohan, he probably wasn't even aware that they set him up with a date, much less know that he was _on _one.

"Uh, it's—" Marker opened his mouth to answer but a series of tapping noises cut him off from behind. The sound of metal on pavement rang in Videl's ears like a bee buzzing beside her. In short, it was annoying as it was equally aggravating.

"Markerrr! Sorry I'm late!" came a shrill, overly perky, and high-pitched voice. Videl froze in her tracks and her fingers twitched in annoyance. Her hands unconsciously clenched at her sides. She knew that voice, and it was a voice that she would not find welcoming in a million years.

Her sapphire eyes flickered quickly up at Gohan's, catching a brief glimpse of his expression. His body was directed towards the source of the voice and his face was stark white, paling as it drained of all color. The happy spark usually present in his dark orbs had diminished, in its place a mixture of shock and a hint of disdain. Gohan's body that was so at ease earlier was now stiff as a board, showing no signs of movement. The expression etched on his face screamed _'Oh, crap'_ and Videl felt sympathy for her friend, dreading what was to come.

She slowly turned around, bracing herself. The sinking feeling in her stomach widened and she willed with everything she had that it was anyone but _her. _But sure enough, Videl caught sight of a mound of large, curly red hair and light brown eyes. The heels on her feet made loud clanking noises against the pavement as she strutted towards them, her bright yellow blazer blowing in the wind and blinding anyone unfortunate enough to have a glimpse of it in the sunlight.

Yup. Gohan's nightmare has just come true.

Angela was going to be his date.

As Angela honed in on the group, Gohan began backing up as if she were a plague. And in a way, she was. Before he could get far, Angela had already latched herself onto his arm much to his dismay.

"Hey there, cutie!" she purred seductively at him. Gohan managed to collect himself and a wide, unnatural smile spread its way across his lips.

"Hi again, Angela," he said stiffly through gritted teeth. His eye twitched. The said girl grinned seductively before cocking her head to the side, her vibrant crimson hair swaying in the same motion. She grinned towards the others.

"Hey Sharpie, hey Erasa," she said perkily and both blondes greeted back with a cheerful reply back. Her brown eyes then flickered for a second on Videl, before turning her gaze back towards Gohan, uninterestedly. "Videl," she addressed with a bored tone in her voice.

Videl, ever bright, faked a smile in return. "Hello Angela," she replied sweetly, bitterness laced in her tone. She did not miss the slight resentment in her voice, almost undetectable. Angela caught on with it though, and dumb as the red-head was, her dark eyes narrowed at her in distaste before turning back to Gohan.

Videl could feel a scowl make its way across her face. Who the hell invited that leacherous tomato here?! The girl was obviously not welcome and last she heard, Videl _did not_ associate herself with people like _Angela_. Why exactly was she invited in the first place?!

She directed her gaze towards Marker, who was beaming in a _much _too good mood.

"Well!" he said optimistically, clapping his hands once. "We're all here so let's go!" He started marching forward, pulling Videl along with him. Erasa and Sharpner followed soon after, Erasa looping her arms through his as she cast a wary glance towards the red-head behind her. Angela remained glued to Gohan's arm, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but _here._

"Marker, Videl hissed when she caught up with her boyfriend. "Why the hell is Angela here?!"

Marker laughed, linking arms with Videl. She stubbornly shook it off and crossed her arms across her chest demandingly. "Well, she's my partner for that history project we're doing, so I figured she would be the perfect date for Gohan. Besides, she really seems to like him so I thought I might as well help her out," he said all too innocently.

Videl narrowed her eyes and spoke in a hushed whisper. "We both know that's not true. You _know _Gohan doesn't like her, and neither do I!"

"Come on Vi, give her a chance! She's not that bad… when you learn to ignore her." He grinned somewhat sheepishly. It was true, she supposed. Angela _could_ be quite tolerable if she didn't have such an annoying voice and was so shallow.

"Besides, what have you got against her?" he continued. That question took her quite by surprise. What _did_ she have against her? Sure, Videl had encountered many girls of her type in the past and could very well ignore them and would never let them get to her head. After all, she had better things to worry about than shallow girls.

However, Angela was different. Before she and Marker had started dating, she knew that Angela had at once pursued him, and they had once been an item themselves. So seeing her today and still having contact with Marker put her slightly on edge, since hewas_ her boyfriend._ Wasn't it natural for her to feel slightly threatened by the girl? What if they still had some untold affection towards each other? With Marker and his past girlfriends, she couldn't be too sure.

'_No,' _Videl concluded to herself. '_She likes Gohan now. There's nothing for me to worry about.'_ Besides, he was loyal to her for the few months they've been dating.

Realizing that her boyfriend was still awaiting for her answer, Videl looked into his expecting caramel eyes. She sighed heavily. Damn that handsome boy. Despite their disagreements lately, she was still a sucker for those eyes.

"I just don't like her," Videl said finally, huffing reluctantly. She was annoyed at the pink tinged slightly on her cheeks. She really did hate that color. "But I guess I can tolerate her."

"Alright! That's what I like to hear!" Marker cheered, breaking into a bright smile. He wrapped his strong arms around Videl's waist, resting just above her hip. Videl shivered at his touch, still not quite used to such close contact with anyone. But this was her boyfriend, and he was an exception… right?

"We're here!" Erasa's voice suddenly rang from ahead. Videl and the group found themselves in front of a little shop on the corner of a busy street. The doors were propped open, allowing peaceful jazz music to ooze through the neighborhood. Scents of food wafted up their noses and Videl could feel her mouth water. Looks of appreciation shone on their faces as they finally stepped forward into the shop, cool, conditioning air instantly relieving them of the sunny day's heat.

The café was nice and cozy, sweet scents of lattes and mouth-watering foods fragmented the air with soothing music playing in the background. On display were a variety of foods, ranging from burgers and hot dogs to donuts and other delectables.

From beside her, an obnoxious rumble shattered the tranquil atmosphere, and five pairs of eyes glanced in a single direction. Gohan grinned sheepishly, momentarily distracted enough to forget his current dilemma with Angela. Hunger shone in his eyes, and he wasted no time in striding towards the counter, already staking out his massive order. Videl chuckled as the cashier's eyes widened in horror at all the items he listed.

"Come on Videl, lets grab something," Marker said, prodding Videl forward slightly impatiently.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she grumbled in return, surging forward past Marker and grabbing Erasa on the way.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

Lunch did not go well for Videl.

For one, Marker had barely said anything to Videl all day, even though they were sitting next to each other. For most of their meal, he spent that time mostly wolfing up his food or 'wrestling' again with Sharpner. Before they could get kicked out, she and Erasa had to snap at them to behave, since the waiter was throwing them dirty looks. Instead, they had settled for a friendly match of thumb wars, this time Sharpner reigning champion.

To make matters worse, she couldn't stand Angela. It was bad enough that she had to tag along, but the girl's mouth could run a mile; even she could put Erasa to shame and that was saying something. Throughout the entire meal, Videl found herself wanting to lunge off a cliff—anything to just get away from the girl. She talked _so damned much,_ and after five minutes had passed in being in her presence, her ear was about ready to fall off.

However, if her irritating voice wasn't enough, the girl even managed to annoy with what she ate. _Oh god,_ the amount of sugar she put into her tea! Staring at her continuously pour spoonfuls of the sweetener into the beverage, Videl wondered how she could drink that straight up. She might as well have been drinking pure sugar!

And to her wonderment, she could not fathom how Gohan was able to cope with her. In fact, he kept up with her conversation pleasantly, skillfully humoring Angela and laughing occasionally throughout the meal. Of course, Videl could detect some pain hidden within his efforts by the occasional twitching of his eye and the strained strangle in his laughs, but that was beyond the point; he was still able to stay sane nonetheless. It amazed her how kind he could be, even to the people he disliked. The boy must have been some kind of hidden saint.

She also couldn't help but notice how such a gentleman Gohan was. Although he did not favor the girl, he still treated Angela courteously. He went out of his way to pay for her meal, carry her tray, as well as pushing out a chair for her to sit in. Heck, even Sharpner had enough courtesy to pay for Erasa too, even if he wasn't as gracious as Gohan.

An odd thought struck Videl. She glanced at Marker, who was in the middle of a conversation with Sharpner as they made their way to the theater. He didn't do anything like that for _her_ even though they were dating, unlike Gohan and Angela. It was probably foolish for her to feel that way, and she usually wouldn't fret about such thoughts; she was Videl Satan, independent and strong! She could very well take care of herself and hold on her own!

But she couldn't help but compare him to the treatment Angela was receiving form Gohan. Shouldn't Marker be doing the same for her?

Videl shook her head. She was probably thinking too much. Marker _could _be a gentleman and besides, she thought, he had other great qualities himself, like being the school's star athlete (besides herself and Sharpner) and was a decent student. So what did she have to complain about?

But a tiny voice inside her head told her otherwise.

Dismissing those thoughts for later, Videl refocused on the present, not wanting to spoil the date. Sharpner and Marker were still talking, having some heated debate on which sports team was better. Gohan remained his quiet and conserved self, occasionally staring at a bird or other things that caught his attention. Erasa had settled into talking with Angela, no doubt sharing the latest gossip.

Videl narrowed her eyes on the red-head, calculating every aspect of her being. For the past hour of being in her presence, Videl found she liked the girl less and less. There was something about her that put her on edge, and for once, it wasn't her voice. When she laughed, it made her blood boil. When she walked, the tapping noises drove her crazy. Heck, the way she clung to Gohan for some reason made her fingers itch to strangle her.

Glancing at the said boy, Videl observed her nerdy, best friend. As usual, he had a pleasant smile on his face, yet it looked strained and weary. His feet seemed to drag the slightest, the tip of his toe scraping against the pavement. Her lips were curled into a slight frown.

"Videl, is there something wrong?"

With a start, Videl jolted from her reverie. She turned to face a pair of deep, onyx eyes she had been observing moments before, staring at her in curiosity and slight concern. For some reason, her breath was momentarily caught in her throat before she grinned softly up at him, shaking her head.

"No, I'm fine Gohan," she answered, brushing dark raven strands out of her face. They were getting quite long.

"Are you sure?" Gohan asked, falling back into step behind her, just so they were trailing a few paces away from the others. Their feet made soft pattering sounds against the street and they fell into a peaceful rhythm. "You looked kind of spaced out for a second."

"I'm fine," she repeated. "Just thinking." She matched his pace, her slender legs falling into sync with his long ones. It was quite peaceful really, and she found the soft patting of their feet soothing her nerves strangely. Her muscles relaxed ever the slightest walking beside her best friend. Their strides, although different in length, fell into sync easily, complimenting the other.

Gohan cocked his head slightly to the side, brow raised curiously. He put his hands in his pockets in a relaxed manner before turning to face the front again.

"Thinking about what?" he prompted. Although his face was directed frontward, she could still feel his gaze lingering on her.

"Nothing!" she said a little quickly. Then she narrowed her eyes. "What's it to you? Why do you want to know?" She could feel the bile and anger rising in her throat with each syllable, and she didn't know why. Just seeing him watching her concerned with those onyx eyes made something in her stir, and for some reason, she didn't want him to find out. Interrogation was _her _field of expertise, but when faced with it herself, she preferred to steer clear of it. She hated her personal life on display for the likes of _anyone_.

Gohan raised his arms in defense. "Whoa, just trying to help. Can't I ask my friend what's on her mind that's bothering her so much?" Videl groaned.

"Gohan, I _said, _nothing's wrong," Videl continued to deny. But honestly? She wasn't fine. She wasn't quite sure of her feelings herself. All she knew was that not only had Marker neglected to pay attention to her, but even her best friend was taken away from her too.

With a start, she realized why she started to dislike Angela more; she was taking away her best friend. Gohan, who had always been there for her for the short months he'd been at OSH, was always behind her, ready to help her (as well as anyone) out with anything. But now Angela had stolen that away from her, one of the few people in her life that was genuine and would actually _listen._ It was kind of stupid; he didn't even _like _her, but Videl still felt weary about them. They weren't a couple, but to Videl, her few friends were like the world to her; they were people she could actually trust. And now, there was a potential that one person could be taken away from her. Again.

Just like her mother.

She closed her eyes shut, willing the memories and heartache to go away. That day had still haunted her in the past, when she received that phone call that had changed the course of her life for the second time.

Videl let out a shaky breath, shoving her emotions out to the back of her mind for the time being. She would not break down. She was strong. She _had _to be strong.

From beside her, Gohan spun around to face her, his deep, dark eyes boring into her sapphire ones. "Look Videl," he said, catching Videl off guard with the serious expression he rarely wore. "Even _I_ can tell you're not alright." Then he sighed, running his fingers through his hair in uncertainty. Then his eyes looked back down on hers, softening. "The point is, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I just wanted to let you know that if you need someone to listen, I'll be there, okay?"

He smiled warmly at her comfortingly and immediately, her worries from earlier began to fade away. Videl felt more reassured now, knowing that her friend would always be there to lend her a hand. Sure, Angela could snag him for herself, but that didn't mean that they still couldn't be _friends. _She was positive that no matter what, they would be friends through and through. She wasn't alone.

And that was enough to make her smile.

She tilted her head to the side, in attempt to hide the small grin tugging at the ends of her lips. She did have a reputation to uphold, and she didn't want Gohan to feel _too _satisfied that his simple statement made her very pleased for some reason. But she could feel him smiling at her anyways, and she knew that _he _knew she was happy.

"Thanks Gohan," Videl finally said, breaking their comfortable silence. "I'll keep that in mind. Now let's catch up with the others." Sure enough, during their brief conversation, Videl had failed to noticed they had stopped in the middle of the busy road, their group of friends almost lost in the crowd. She and Gohan hurriedly caught up with them, jogging side by side with an eased atmosphere between them.

Erasa and Sharpner did not seem to notice their momentary absence, chatting fervently in their own world but Marker and Angela seemed well aware of it. With narrowed amber eyes, Angela clung back onto Gohan's arm much to his chagrin. She casted Videl a slightly menacing look to which Videl returned with equal intensity. After another second passed, she looked away with a sneer before turning back to Gohan and smiling sweetly. Angela ran her fingers down his arms, laughing flirtatiously. Videl's gaze bore into her back.

"Hey Vi, where'd you and Gohan go?"

Ripping her eyes away from the two, Videl turned to face Marker. An uncharacteristic frown adorned his face, his gaze resting warily on Gohan who had his back turned and attention focused elsewhere. She could practically see the daggers shooting out his eyes.

Clasping his hands in hers to ease his tension, Videl replied, "Oh, we just got lost a bit," she said smoothly, trying to avoid any issues. After all, the whole point of Gohan tagging along with them was to get them to get along better.

That wasn't working out too well.

Marker grumbled under his breath. "Sure, unless you guys did something more?" Immediately, Videl turned on Marker, her ice-blue eyes flashing cold fire, offense and irritation clearly written on her face.

"For the last time Marker," she said through gritted teeth, trying to keep her anger in check. Apparently her temper from earlier hadn't completely disappeared yet. "I told you, there's nothing going on between me and Gohan! You have nothing to worry about. We're _just friends!_"

She took a few deep calming breaths to control her anger. Did Marker really not trust her that much? How could he even _think_ about suggesting that? They didn't do anything for crying out loud! She huffed again in annoyance.

"Look," she said in a more calming manner, "we just talked. That's all. Nothing to it."

Marker put a soothing hand on Videl's shoulder. "Sorry. It's just that he still rubs me the wrong way. I'm trying to accept him, honestly." Videl repressed the urge to roll her eyes.

_Sure. Was that what you thought of when you invited Angela?_ Instead, she said, "I get that you don't like him and are at least making an effort to befriend him but," she sighed, turning to lock eyes with his, "just trust me more okay?"

They held their gazes for a while, sapphire meeting caramel. His eyes reflected stubbornness, reluctance, and finally, he turned away, defeated. "'Kay," he simply said before they silently walked together with the rest of the group. The awkward tension between them was almost suffocating. Videl couldn't help but feel that there was something missing.

"We're here! What took you guys?" Erasa asked, once they caught up. She raised a blonde brow in Videl's direction. She shook her head. Thankfully, Erasa decided to dismiss her questioning for now.

"By the way," Videl said, taking a look at her surroundings. They were standing in front of a boisterous place, with high walls and mouth-watering wafts of butter spilling out the open doors. Continuous laughter could be heard from inside. "Where are we?"

"Why, we're at cinema of course!" Erasa squealed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. With a start, Videl realized how painfully obvious it was. Her mind was not in the game today. "I can't wait to see what they have! Let's go!" With that, the blonde made a beeline for the building, Sharpner in tow. Soon after, Angela wasted to time in dragging Gohan along too. They disappeared behind closed doors.

Videl turned to Marker, who was still rooted to his spot. "Come on Marker," she said, "let's go in."

Marker glanced down at Videl with a small, gentle smile. He took hold of her hand, instantly warming up her tiny ones.

"Yeah, let's go."

They went inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

They ended up watching some cliché romance movie, picked by Angela and Erasa of course.

Throughout the whole thing, Videl was bored to tears. Where was the _action_? As the movie played, Videl nearly fell asleep within ten minutes of it. As far as her memory served her, she could only recall bits of it, like the boy and girl meeting, falling in love at first sight, one of them getting in a near-death experience (that managed to catch her attention), and them living happily ever after.

Whoopee. Joy.

But when a heaven-sent beeping splitted the silent air at that moment, Videl nearly leapt up letting out a cry of joy. They movie was so _boring_. All eyes turned towards Videl, who had instantly brought the device up to her face amidst of her mental cheering. Some people shot her disapproving looks to be quiet, which Videl promptly ignored.

"What the problem, Chief?" she said through the watch, her voice instantly leveled and focused and her eyes darkened into one of concentration. A buzz resounded through it, a new voice answering through the static.

"_We've got a problem Videl,"_ came the chief's rough, deep voice. _"There are thugs holding the mayor hostage and they want a showdown with your father but he's not here! Can you come instead?"_

"On it Chief," Videl answered before racing towards the door. "I'll be right back!" she called over her shoulder to her friends, who had exchanged a silent agreement of understanding. When duty called, she was obligated to go, and her spur-of-the-moment absences were certainly not an anomaly around the group.

"Be careful Videl!" Gohan shouted after her, concern in his voice. A lot of shushing noises came from disinterested bystanders, too eager to watch the movie. But by now she was already outside, hopping into her yellow jetcopter about to take flight. However, she was still able to catch his last sentence and as she flew away in direction of the crime, she smiled slightly despite herself.

Gohan had nothing to worry about. Videl was always fine.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

She had to admit, this guy was pretty tough. With an intimidating bald head and a koi fish-like mustache, he definitely had one of the meanest faces she had ever encountered. The brute stood towering over six feet tall, making Videl feel unbearably tiny in comparison. Bulging muscles inhabited every surface on his body, and it wasn't the good kind either. He looked as if he had taken steroids, which was something she could swear he had done more than once in his life.

The fight had started off fairly well, with Videl having the upperhand in the match. He had obviously underestimated her size, which was a common factor many crooks before him fell victim to, and he was going to pay dearly. _No one _calls Videl Satan short unless they wanted a broken arm (other than a few exceptions, who held certain privileges).

And that was just her being generous.

She had already defeated most of the thugs in her first few minutes of combat; they currently resided in a senseless heap as they were whisked away for prison. The police did not dare to intervene in her showdown; the mayor was still held captive and their intervention would only complicate the matters at hand. They watched in mixed anxiety at the Satan girl, tensed and ready to assist if needed.

The man currently facing off with Videl was just any other muscle-head, but alas, a very strong muscle-head. It was one of the first challenges she had in a while, so in a way, it was quite refreshing.

However, a sharp uppercut sending her sprawling on the pavement made her think otherwise.

"Ha! No one can defeat the Great Rock!" the man named Rock boomed. He began gloating over his accomplishment, arrogance etched on his face as he rose his massive arms above his head in victory. Videl unsteadily got to her feet, catching her breath. That blow had momentarily stunned her, but only for a moment. It didn't take long for Videl to sprint back into the match, sending a powerful kick that caught the gangster's jaw on the side while he was distracted. His head snapped back and he stumbled, not expecting the girl to be back on her feet so soon.

"The Great Rock huh?" Videl spat as she continued her advance. "It's no wonder your mommy named you that. You're so stupid, you're brain is a rock!"

Oh yes. She went there.

Rock's face flushed rubicund in mixed embarrassment and mainly anger. He leapt to his feet in blind rage, visage very convincingly mimicking a tomato.

She apparently hit a sensitive spot as he roared, "Shut up! I am _not _stupid!"

Amidst his boiling temper, it left his body wide open and unguarded, and Videl surged confidentially forward, not wasting her opportunity to attack. She sent a barrage of punches and kicks at all his openings, each blow causing him to retreat back unsteadily. By now, a large crowd of bystanders had gathered, many keeping their distance from the warning looks the police shot them, but a reporter stood in closer proximity, filming everything while raging on about each juicy detail. The thug had sweat coating his skin and rage glistened in his expression. Letting out an almighty roar, he charged toward Videl, hands outstretched to tackle her.

Dropping to her feet, Videl's leg struck out, catching the large man's feet from beneath him. He came tumbling down and his head made a painful connection with the pavement. Ouch.

Howling in pain, Rock clutched his nose in agony, the crook of it bended in an odd angle. He stared at his bloodied hands dumbfounded, a look of disbelief on his face. His expression wasted no time to morph into fury, and he spun to face the raven-haired vixen with loathing creasing his eyes.

"You bitch!" he snarled, swinging at Videl recklessly. Swift on her feet, she evaded the attack with ease; his form was becoming sloppier from anger.

Suddenly, gunshot sounded in the air, embedding ammo just in the front of Videl's feet. She leapt back instinctively, trying to build distance between her and the firing projectile. From the side of her vision, she was able to see another thug she had yet to defeat, and she was starting to pay for it. In his hand was a long pistol, continuously firing bullets in her direction. Heart racing, she was forced back, miraculously spared from wounds.

Just as the fusillade of shots ceased, Videl felt two, large arms slither its way across her neck, constricting her into a headlock. Choking from the sudden lack of oxygen, she felt herself be heaved effortlessly up in the air like a rag doll, hanging by the restraints around her neck. Realizing that she was snuck up upon, Videl desperately tried prying the arms away, but to no avail. Her lungs were burning; she couldn't breathe. Every aspect of her body screamed for air but she couldn't access it despite her waning efforts.

"That… that was cheap," Videl somehow managed to choke out through gritted teeth. She continued to struggle futilely; the choke hold did not budge. The hold around her neck increased in pressure, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Who said I had to play fair?" the thug's voice answered maliciously in her ear. It was disgusting, and all Videl wanted to do was punch the daylights out of him. His hold on her though, was too strong for her to break free in her weakened state despite her useless squirming.

Videl's vision began to blur as she quickly ran out of oxygen. Her mind raced, searching for any way to get out of this situation. Her legs flailed uselessly in a fruitless attempt to escape his strong hold, her nails digging through flesh until it drew blood. The thug still did not budge.

"Look at what Satan City's strongest crime-fighter has been reduced to," the brute continued, "No one can defeat the Mighty Rock, or the Red Shark Gang! Videl Satan, you really are just a weak, little girl—"

At that moment, she jammed her elbow into his stomach.

Gasping at the sudden shock of pain, Rock recoiled his arm from around her neck and he doubled over heaving. That blow knocked the wind out of him and he soon found himself in a familiar position flat on his stomach. A tiny boot kicked him in the back, causing him to cry out in another fit of agony.

"I. Am. Not. _Weak,_" Videl hissed menacingly through her teeth, voice laced with venom. She kicked him once more, this time forcefully sending him rolling down the street. Her sapphire eyes ignited into blue flames, her expression turning frightening. She advanced on Rock who was then beat to the pulp at the hands of a raging, furious, teenage girl. The police swarmed around him like vultures, handcuffing him and tossing him into the back of the police car.

"You'll pay for this Videl Satan!" Rock screamed while struggling against the police force. They snapped at him to shut up before shoving him through the door. "The Red Shark Gang _will_ have their revenge! You hear me?! Watch your back! This is far from over!" He continued to scream incoherent things before the door finally slammed shut, drowning out his voice.

Videl sank to her knees, panting for air, feeling the burst of adrenaline leaving her body. Her body shook as she breathed in ragged gasps, relishing in the feeling of being able to breathe again. The cops had already disarmed the thugs around the mayor, and were reporting back to their stations. They kept their distance though, letting the girl catch her breath before coming to her aid and receiving last bits of information. Wiping sweat from her brow and brushing away stray locks that had come undone in her showdown, Videl unsteadily rose back onto her feet, about to walk to the troop.

However, a small, almost undetectable glint caught her eye, its shiny, metallic surface winking at her in the sunlight. Videl paused and turned to the shiny object, studying it curiously. Hidden behind the bushes, an elongated object peeked out of the leaves, a small gaping hole centered in the middle. The metal glinted in the heavy sunlight, and the more Videl studied it, the more it looked like…

She froze, and her body jerked in alarm. How could she have forgotten? In those moments of her fight with Rock, she had forgotten about his presence, the remaining thug with the pistol.

That pistol was once again directed towards her.

Realizing she was too late to run, Videl braced herself for the impact that was sure to come, squeezing her eyes shut. The world slowed down and she distinctively heard a gunshot ring out, but in a blur of motion and color, a sharp pressure curled around her abdomen, blossoming warmth as she felt herself being pulled back, an unknown force pulling her in the opposite direction. Her body moved with the motion, her spine jutting back as the rest of her was leaning forward, involuntarily being pushed back. A momentary golden hue encased her closed vision, and she was only able to clearly make out the pinging sounds of metal colliding with skin, bouncing off in a flurry of shots.

But it wasn't her skin that was hit.

With a gasp, Videl jerked her eyes open, realizing that the pressure on her stomach did not come from pain or from a bullet. It felt like something had wrapped around her and before she could process it, she found she was a few paces back from her original position from before. Adjusting to the mysterious speed, Videl's eyes refocused in front of her, noticing at first that the feeling around her was gone, disappearing with the warmth that it brought, as well as the golden light.

In front of her, the crook that had slipped her mind laid sprawled on the ground, unconscious with a mangled pistol by his side, unnatural indents creasing the metal like crumpled paper. The police were already making a commotion, dragging the body inside their cars.

But what stood out to Videl the most was the pile of bullets that lay a yard in front of her feet.

Upon further inspection, the bullets were crumpled, almost as if someone had crushed them. In fact, a few pieces of metallic dust lie beneath it, suggesting that it _had _been converted to fine pieces of sand.

Videl backed away, mind racing. What had happened? Moments before, she could have sworn she was a goner. Those bullets were no doubt meant for _her, _and yet, none of them had made contact despite her being in perfect alignment with the projectile. And the person yielding that weapon was now out like a light, suddenly appearing unconscious in the middle of the area.

To top it off, she _knew _something strange was happening. Bullets did not just lie in a pile on the ground crushed; they had to hit something first, and she certainly did not get hit. And, the unnatural movements she felt when someone, or some_thing_, made contact with her, somehow redirecting her position in neck-breaking speeds, was all too suspicious. None of the pieces fit. What had happened before that gun was triggered?

"You okay there Videl?"

Snapping out of her daze startled, Videl's eyes made contact with that of the chief's. His wise, brown ones reflected concern at her questionably.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered reassuringly, but it was mainly for _herself._ In truth, she was riled up, spooked from the events that had happened moments before. The chief's brows rose in question.

"Are you sure? You seemed kind of distracted," he stated gruffly, right to the point. Videl quickly nodded. A pause settled between them before her earlier thoughts struck her. Perhaps the chief knew what had happened?

"Hey, Chief?" she asked hesitantly. He waited patiently for her to continue. Videl fiddled with her fingers. "Did you by chance see anyone fighting crime with me just now? You know, like pushing me away or something?"

"What are you talking about Videl?" the chief asked, confusion in his voice. "As far as I'm concerned, it was only you fighting today. I didn't see anyone else. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Oh, um, I'm fine," Videl said slowly. Her mind reeled. So no one saw _anybody_ here with her? But she could've sworn there was someone that pulled her away the moment the gunshot was fired… but who? Part of her wanted to strangle the person; she could handle her ground herself! But the other part of her mind whispered that if it weren't for that, she would've been shot, and she should be thankful that she was left unharmed.

"I need to go now," she said to the chief. "My friends are waiting." Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and made her way back to her jetcopter, trying to wrap her mind around the ordeal. She was shaken up and confused.

Videl shook her head, her now messed hair whipping her bare cheeks. She would worry about it later.

With a pop, her hovercraft decapsulized in front of her and Videl hopped on unsteadily, still quite riled up from her intense fight earlier. She booted the engine on and the mobile came to life, the wings of the copter blades beginning to increase in speed, lifting her off the ground.

Glancing below her as she lifted off, Videl observed as the last parts of the crowd disperse and the police vehicles separating towards the police station. They cleaned up fast.

However, she noticed that a lone figure remained standing in the area as the last people ventured away. The figure was tall and lanky, obviously a male at his towering height. A gray hoodie cloaked his face, the baggy part of the hood drooping in the front so that it hid his eyes, obscuring him from her view. Half his visage was hidden beneath the shadow, but from the distance, Videl was able to make out golden strands of—hair?— falling between spaces the fabric did not conceal. It seemed to glow a vibrant yellow, almost like the sun, and Videl found herself staring, mesmerized at the vivid color it shone.

The figure shifted a bit, turning around to reveal half the hidden portion of his face. Behind the golden strands of hair, bright, teal eyes rested on her sapphire ones for a moment, before turning away. Her gaze was transfixed on his in that brief moment, the enigmatic color seemingly boring into her soul. Videl felt an eerie sense of familiarity, as she stared deeper in his eyes, breath unconsciously slowing. All she could focus on were those eyes. They seemed so familiar; mysterious… she felt like she knew those eyes… but from where?

Videl blinked, and when her vision cleared again, the hooded figure was gone like a breath in the wind. As if he had never been there, never existed.

Confused, Videl rapidly glanced around the area, scanning for that mysterious teal-eyed boy. He was nowhere in sight. By now, her jetcopter had lifted off into the air, well above the city. Videl refocused on her vehicle, clutching the wheel in direction of her friends.

Videl shook her head once more. Perhaps she was seeing things. People did not have golden hair that glowed, nor were eyes supposed to be such an alluring teal. Things like this were simply not real.

However, as much as she would have loved to say her mind was playing tricks on her, a tiny voice told her that she wasn't imagining things. That boy _was_ real.

The only question was… who is he?

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Perhaps meeting you_

_was never supposed to be_

_a coincidence_

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: *Stomps foot* This chapter came out longer than I expected, so I had to cut it up into two chapters! ,xT But the more, the merrier I guess ^_^ Hopefully this part will satisfy you guys enough :D since it was rather long (8,000!), the next chapter will be a continuation of this one, including the date. It will probably be shorter too, so I'll figure out a way to extend the next chapter for ya all ;D Still not quite into the plot yet though… *pouts* We're getting there! Bear with me! D'x**

**And I guess it's safe to say that we all know who the 'teal-eyed figure' was that saved Videl from being shot. Ha… remember when I said there won't be a Gold Fighter or Saiyaman? Well, I changed my mind because I got a particular review that made me reconsider, and I decided I really liked the idea x3 Thank you to **_**shadow12 **_**for suggesting his presence! (sorta). Round of applause everyone! ^_^ but he still won't fight crime unless it's necessary (like Videl being in danger).**

**I wrote Videl's wardrobe mishap for some loose entertainment ^_^; No offense to anyone who likes pink! I don't hate the color; it's just not my favorite… BLUE FOREVER! (although it IS pretty mainstream…)**

**Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible! Until next time! ;D**

_[1.25.2013. EDITED! I think! 'cause it was bothering me! :P ]_


	5. Prince Charming Screws Up

**A/N: I-I'M FREE! Free, I tell you, FREE! x'D Ladidaaaah~! *Spins around happily throwing flowers* Finally finished taking the finals! :'D Now I can write in peace! I guess you can tell where I disappeared to again for the past weeks ^_^; Uhh, as for the other week I was missing, I'M SO SORRY! Let's just say that I fell into the clutches of the Pokémon fandom. SO AWESOME. But then again… DBZ is better ;P**

**And as I said, this is a continuation of the last chapter since it came out longer than anticipated. Somehow, I managed to elongate it to make it a proper chapter length ^_^ HOLY BALONEY. It came out WAY longer than I thought! Longer than the previous chapter too! Weird… and apparently a lot of people like Gold Fighter's appearance in here! :D Thanks so much guys, and you too **_**shadow12**_**! xD**

**And whoop! Shout out to my favorite, amazing, and epically superduperjustfrigginplainAW ESOME reviewers! xD *Throws RAINBOW confetti* You guys always make my day a BUNCH brighter! ^-^**

**KaosMoshPit: **No worries, Gold Fighter will only help out Videl whenever her life is in danger. Otherwise, he won't appear often and she's got everything covered ^_^ Gohan's kinda like undercover or something and keeping watch over her… that's not creepy at all! ,xD ha ha horf horf!

**Keep It True: **Oh my! How embarrassing! Thanks for catching my mistakes! Whenever I edit, I think, 'Awright! Eet's good to go~!' But then I later find those stuff I miss. And thanks for the compliments! Makes me blush (^_^) and AHA! So _you're _'dude'! Huh. That's funny cuz I read your fic without realizing it was you until you said so! xD small world huh? Yaaay, another fellow writer! :D Join the club people, we's gots virtual cookies! ;D

**sprang141: **Thanks! I'm uber happy you like Gohan so far! x3

**chaos267: **Thanks for the compliment! :D Yeah, I'll try to update faster D: Must… overcome…. procrastination! *writhes in pain* Sorry about my sporadic update schedule! My work ethic is just… ugh, all over the place x(

**shadow12: **Ehe. Amazing how far words can go huh? ^_^

**RaiynetheHedgehog: **Whoaaah, mega review! :D I'm really happy you found this chapter amusing! x3 And OF COURSE Videl will get together with Gohan! They're the only ones meant for each other! xD ANGELA AND MARKER NEEDS TO GO. Yes, educate you brother while he's still young! Important life skills to survive this cruel world! xD As for the random hoodie… I honestly don't know! ,xD Let's just assume he high jacked it from some random boy on the street or something. And thank YOU for reviewing my stories too! :D and yes yes, rants are fun! They're so entertaining, no?! xD

**ily flowerslut:** Wow, I'm super happy that you already like this so much! :D Thanks for the compliments! I'm flattered (^-^) But-but I'm still new to writing and got LOTS to learn before I can write something spectacular. ,:\ And no worries, Marker and Videl will not last long xD I don't like the pairing myself but that's the plot! And nope, I won't be abandoning this story! I've still got so much to write to just end it now! Although I do warn that I'm a big procrastinator… hehe ^_^; Purple IS an awesome colour btw :D

**SenpaiGabby: **Hahahahaha! xD Soon, my friend, soon :]

**Disclaimer: Good news guys! My foot's not stuck anymore! Eureka! And DBZ is not mine! Nor ze quotes! :P**

**Claimer: GRAH I seriously have questionable pottery skills! Once, I tried to make a burger but it turned into a whale. Then, Domo became a dinosaur. When I made a penguin, it somehow became a Santa-gnome. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON GNOMES! **

…**.**

**Chapter 5: 'Prince Charming' Screws Up**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_The truth is that_

_Life is delicious, horrible, charming,_

_Frightful, sweet, bitter,_

_And that is everything._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**[****WARNING!**** This chapter is rather dark towards the end. There will be things that may be rated M. So if you're not comfortable with reading, please go past the 'SKIP' and start again at 'END'. I'm sorry to anyone who may be offended with this chapter! I want this story to be somewhat realistic so sometimes I need to write out of my comfort zone to make it so. Other than that, the **_**entire **_**story will remain T rated until its end.]**

Videl was still shaken as she neared the movie theater. Moments before, it had not occurred to her that she had _nearly died_, and how close her death came at the shot of a bullet. Whether it was due to the slow realization of shock dawning on her, she might not have considered her life being in such danger if it weren't for the fact that she was saved by that unknown force. Either way, the moment Videl lifted off and saw that hooded figure vanish, did the consequences of her actions really settle in her mind.

Once it sunk in, Videl felt herself becoming apoplectic. Never in her years under police service did she come that close to dying. Sure, she'd faced countless numbers of criminals armed with weaponry, but never had they once been in such accurate alignment with her or in such close proximity either.

In short, realization hit Videl like a brick wall. Her pride was somewhat shaken; she was so used to fighting and coming out virtually unscathed that it completely slipped her mind that she was not invincible. She was still human, and extremely vulnerable no matter how skilled she was in combat. Videl may have been strong, but even she was not immune to bullets. She was still flesh and bones and her life could be gone within an instant. She had evaded death for years but for the first time to _actually _be faced with it head-on, she wasn't sure what to make of the ordeal besides the fact that she had in fact, cheated death's looming hands.

And it was all thanks to that teal-eyed figure.

Videl felt her chest constricting and her hands tightened around the wheel. How was it that he had pulled her out of range of fire so quickly, when she knew no one else was close enough around the vicinity to help her? How had he disappeared so quickly and left a pile of metallic dust before her feet? Just who is he and more importantly…

What was his objective?

Videl pondered this thought for a while, her suspicious mind reeling yet coming up blank. That person had no reason to aid her, and she doubted he even _knew _her. As far as she was concerned, Videl did not recall anybody she knew with golden, luminescent hair or such piercing teal eyes. She would have remembered. No one would forget such striking features. This was the first time she had seen him in her life; she had no doubt in her heart. Perhaps he was just lucky enough to pass by?

But yet… in the last few glimpses she had of him, she couldn't shake the feeling that she _did _know him from somewhere. Sure, she had never encountered anyone with such abnormal irises but in those moments their gazes locked, they held a certain familiarity to them, and she could vaguely recall recognition flickering in the depths of his eyes. Could this all be a coincidence, or was he really someone she knew?

Honestly, Videl wasn't sure. Nothing seemed to add up.

Her fingers twitched in irritation. Part of her couldn't help but feel offended in a way. Sure, she was grateful that she was spared another day to live, but despite herself, she also felt somewhat _insulted_. Videl grew up to be a prideful woman; she was always hard-headed and independent and took pride in what she did. She accomplished things that individualized herself away from her father's shadow. She was the protector of the city, she stood for her own strength. She was seldom ever lost a fair sparring match and thus, Videl was used to rising victorious. She was fearless, undefeatable.

Well, at least she was _almost _undefeatable until that guy showed up. To think, Videl, crime fighter of the city, nearly taken down by a mere _bullet_? The idea made her almost nauseous; shouldn't she be _stronger _than that?

But that was the sad truth, not even Videl Satan was invincible. She was still flesh and bones, still fragile and capable of shattering like glass.

That idea did not settle well with her.

However, the thought nagging at the back of her mind was that figure. Surely he wasn't real. But yet, she had seen him with her own two eyes! Her eyes caught everything, and sight does not lie. He had moved at astounding speeds, leaving his presence for her to ponder his enigmatic existence… that is, if he even existed. Heck, he could have been a fragment of her imagination! She was even convinced that not even the _police_ were aware of his presence except for herself, hence the chief's reaction to earlier that day. Had she gone insane, imagining people that shouldn't exist?

Despite the facts not adding up, her gut instinct told her that he was _more _than a mere illusion; he was very much as alive as she was. His image was still engraved in her mind; those piercing, teal eyes were clear as day.

But what struck her most was that those eyes seemed to have seen straight through her.

Videl shook her head vigorously, attempting to clear her thoughts from his haunting gaze. Perhaps she had gone insane. There was no way people could move faster than the eye, no way that they can crush bullets or disappear like a breath in the wind. She was just tired, that's all. Yeah, that's it. She was becoming delusional due to the lack of sleep and Erasa's clothing horrors. She just needed a nap, that was all. Nothing to it.

Unconvincingly reassuring herself that her mind just merely conjured up some bizarre hallucination, Videl swerved her copter and allowed it to touch down, sending plumes of dust and grass to billow out around her.

She was not surprised to see her friends patiently waiting for her. They were sitting on some benches nearby, Marker and Sharpner wolfing down leftover popcorn and Angela was touching up on her makeup. Urgh… how much lipstick did that girl need? Videl could feel her mood swiftly darken and a felt a scowl forming on her face, nasty thoughts occupying her mind.

Her thoughts were cut short however, when the first person to notice her was Erasa. The blonde was on her feet in a flash, barreling down the streets like an Olympic sprinter the moment Videl hopped out of her hovercraft. Within seconds, she miraculously closed the distance between her and the raven-haired vixen at astonishing speeds, giving her a mighty tackle that could put any star athlete to shame.

Videl could have sworn she skidded a few feet back, barely maintaining her balance at the force her friend was exerting. She grunted in discomfort. The girl did not know her own strength. At least her current dilemma was left abandoned as she faced a new one: the blonde in front of her.

"VIDEL!" Erasa shrieked clinging to her neck for dear life as Videl attempted to pry her off unsuccessfully. "Your _hair_! What the hell did you do?! All my hard work gone to waste!" She tearfully picked at the strands of hair that had fallen out during her fight, sniffing woefully at how sloppy it looked. Videl didn't really see the big deal. Her pony tail was just crooked to the side, a few portions of it hanging loosely at the edges of her face. Yeah, she was roughed up but surely it wasn't _that _bad was it?

She blew out a tired breath of exasperation, brushing the unruly wisps out of her face while swatting away Erasa's fumbling fingers. "Chill 'Rase," she huffed, "It's just my hair. Nothing that can't be fixed."

Erasa looked perplexed. "Just your hair? _Just. Your. Hair_?!" she continued to holler, voice amplifying at each syllable. She looked like she was about to blow up. Videl slowly inched back, bracing herself for her friend's explosive rants that was sure to come. The girl had some serious vocals when she wanted to.

Thankfully though, Sharpner had arrived just in time to spare her ears. Approaching them with his usual 'suave', Sharpner put a soothing hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, willing her to relax.

"Relax 'Rase," he said uncharacteristically calm, while unknotting the tension in her shoulders. Erasa visibly deflated at his touch. "You can fix it later. I'm sure Videl will just _love _what you have in store for her." He shot Videl an arrogant and mischievous smirk, feigning innocence as he sniveled his head around to suppress a snort to himself.

So much for saving her.

Videl scowled, sharply smacking the side of his head. "Don't give her ideas!" she snapped. Alas, it was too late as Erasa's expression considerably brightened and she gave Videl a mischievous look. The gleam in her eyes did not bode well for the near future.

"Oooh, you and I are going to have _so much fun_ Videl!" she cheered triumphantly with a little hop.

"Why? Why me?" Videl groaned, slapping her forehead. She knew she was fighting a lost cause. Whenever Erasa put her mind to it, she could achieve _anything_, and that included torturing Videl. Oh, how she loathed Erasa's fashion antics.

"Aw, I don't think it's _that _bad," came a new, husky voice. Videl turned to see that Marker had finally caught up with the three, Angela in tow behind him. He grinned charmingly at Videl, brushing away her dark, tangled hair as the last portion finally fell out of its band. She shivered at his touch. He smelled like popcorn.

"I think that if Videl cleans up a bit, she would look real hot," Marker continued, but then quickly cut off at the expression Videl was giving him. Her sharp eyes narrowed. Was he implying something?

"Not that you're not already hot Vi," he said quickly, somewhat intimidated by her unwavering stare. Videl lowered her gaze, a shy smile hinting at her lips.

"You think so?" she asked, somewhat flustered. She fingered her hair gingerly, now a little self-conscious about the state she was in: messy hair, dusty clothes from her earlier brawl, and coated lightly with sweat. With a start, she realized that she indeed did look very disheveled.

"Come _on_ Videl," Erasa was saying, prodding her to move. Her blonde friend looked _much _too excited to be healthy. "Let's go fix you up!"

"Yeah," Angela agreed, flipping her hair in a blaze of red. "Kami knows _somebody_ needs to do something about that bird's nest." The redhead crossed her arms in a stuck-up manner, shifting her weight on one side of her leg. Videl immediately narrowed her eyes, her sapphire orbs flashing dangerously.

"Angela, do you have something you want to say to me?" Her voice was deathly calm, colder than winter wind. Her friends instantly shrank back, all knowing too well on reading Videl's behavior, and this was not something they wanted to be involved in. Angela faltered a little herself before foolishly taking another step forward to confront the petite girl.

"Maybe I do," she retorted haughtily, sticking up her nose. Videl felt her temper skyrocketing and she clenched her fists to her sides in a struggling battle not to lose control and smack the girl across the face.

Oh, she really did, she wanted to. However, tempting as it was, Videl wanted to keep her head. She flexed her wrists and took deep, calming breaths before fixing a furious glare in Angela's direction.

"Look Angela," she said through her teeth, "I don't know what I did, but _what_ is your _problem_?!"

In turn, the ginger sneered at her. "Really Videl, like you wouldn't know? Just because you're the daughter of the world savior doesn't mean that you should act so high and mighty like you own the world." What on earth was the crazy girl talking about?! She wasn't making any sense! How did that even relate with their conversation?!

"_Excuse _me?! _I'm _the self-centered one?! Did you just hear what you said?!" Videl laughed in return, although there was no humor in her tone. Her voice was bitter laced with venom. She jabbed her finger in Angela's face, her harsh glare amplifying each passing second. "It seems to me that _you're_ the conceited one. You're just making a scene to get attention just like the immature, baby you are!"

At that, Angela's face contorted in comically, shifting from shock, to disbelief, and finally, rage. "Y-you bitch!" she sputtered, her face mimicking the exact shade of her hair.

"Leacherous tomato!" Videl countered, her voice rising in volume. Oh, so they were doing that huh? Two can play the game.

"Ugly tomboy!"

"Pizza-faced clown!"

"FLAT PANCAKE!"

"NARCISSISTIC SLUT!"

Angela gasped. "When I find out what that word means, I'm gonna be mad!"

"I don't think your dainty brain is capable of handling such a big word _Ange,_" Videl said sweetly with mockery at the nickname. She folded her arms smugly across her chest. '_Videl: 1, Angela: 0,'_ she thought with a smirk.

Angela's mouth popped wide open, hanging like a guppy. Once she processed the insult, her face scrunched up into rage, with steam literally pouring out of her ears. "Y-y-y-YOU!" she boomed, stepping towards Videl and raising her hand to slap her.

Before Videl could get involved with her full-fledged cat-fight, Erasa stepped between the raging girls, intervening before things could get uglier than they already were.

"Come on Videl, let's go to the bathroom. I need to fix your hair anyways," Erasa quickly said, literally wedging herself in front of them, breaking up the tension between the two girls. Neither had yet to back down, their hard glares matching in intensity, sapphire clashing with amber. Erasa nudged Videl again, this time grabbing hold of her shoulder to tug her away before things could get nasty. This time, she showed no restraint and broke their glares, but the tension still hung heavy in the atmosphere.

Videl allowed Erasa to lead her back into the cinema, towards the restrooms. She could still feel Angela's piercing glare boring into the back of her head, but Videl shrugged it off. There was no way that little girl scared her.

Silence settled over them as both girls interred the bathroom. Uncharacteristically silent, Erasa made no move to speak, and that was fine with Videl; in her provoked state, she didn't want to lash out at her friend when she didn't necessarily do anything wrong. Besides, she needed room to breathe for a second.

The untalkative atmosphere lagged on as Erasa began to slowly brush Videl's hair, bending the movement down in rhythmic strokes. But Videl could tell that she was burning with suspense. Erasa always knew gossip, and she could feel her squirming to know what was going on. Finally, she turned Videl around to face her, and Erasa's nosy nature began to surface. Her emerald green eyes glimmered with curiosity and the question Videl knew was plaguing her mind finally left her lips.

"Videl! What was that earlier?!" she pestered, her talkative nature kicking in. Videl sighed knowing that this was going to come sometime or later.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Videl said nonchalantly, humoring the girl as Erasa quivered with excitement. She kept up the poker face though.

Erasa rolled her eyes impatiently. "Aw, stop messing with me!" she said exasperatedly. "You know what I mean! Now spill girl! What's got you so riled up with Angela?"

At the sound of that name, Videl's face soured in distaste. "Nothing," Videl waved her hand dismissively. "She's just being a bitch, that's all."

"Vi, I'm not buying that! C'mon, tell me why you guys hate your guts so much! Pleaaase?" Erasa pleaded, her big, green eyes widening and begging. Videl sighed, finally caving in to her friend's pleas. She really could never hide anything from Erasa, and she knew that. After all, they were best friends and told each other pretty much everything. Although Erasa was the gossip queen of OSH, Videl knew that she would never tell a soul and would take it to her grave. The two girls trusted each other with anything.

Videl ran her hand through her hair (which Erasa immediately swatted away in a panic to not ruin her progress). "It's kind of hard to explain," she started as Erasa leaned in eagerly, urging her continue. "I really don't know why Angela gets under my skin so easily. I mean, we hardly talk to each other but when we do, it sets me off. I get this feeling like she's a threat. She's always snagging away my best friends, like Gohan and Marker."

"Mm-hm," Erasa tittered patiently as she filed her nails. Without glancing up from her work, she brought up her hand to admire them. "So it seems to me like somebody is jealous," she stated and blew her hands before starting on the next one.

Videl choked on air. "_Jealous?!" _she said appalled, saying the adjective like it was a plague. She scrunched up her nose. "There is no way I'm _jealous_ Erasa," she scoffed.

"Reaaaally…" Erasa drawled, dropping the filer away into her bag. She propped her hands beneath her chin staring up at her raven-haired friend. "You're in denial! Why else would you react that way if she's 'stealing away' your boys?"

"Erasa, they're not _my boys_," Videl sighed somewhat miffed. "I said _friends._ There's a difference you know—and I'm not jealous!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," chirped Erasa cheerily. She began to gather Videl's thick dark hair and coaxing it into its band. "You'll find out sooner or later!"

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" inquired Videl with a huff. Really, Erasa could be so mysterious sometimes. Being the gossip queen of OSH, she always had information that Videl didn't, and that included her love life. Although she was the interrogator, Erasa always knew more than she did, just like at the moment. But before she could question her any further, the blond was already fastening Videl's hair into the same ponytail from earlier.

"Now that that's settled, let's get going!" Erasa chirped with a small skip in her steps as she strode out the door. Videl trudged suit behind her, grumbling about her lack of knowledge. They would talk about this later.

They walked out the bathroom and made their way back to the main entrance, with Erasa babbling on about how great the movie was she'd missed earlier. Naturally, Videl tuned out her constant chattering, deeming the movie absolutely worthless to be talking about, much less pay attention to. She hadn't found much interest in the film anyways, after separating briefly with Gohan and the others.

Then, a thought struck Videl, and she furrowed her brow. "By the way…" she said slowly, rubbing her chin, "where is Gohan?" Come to think of it, she hadn't seen a hair of her dark-haired friend the moment she left the theater to help assist the police. In fact, he wasn't present when she returned, even during her argument with Angela minutes before. Where _was _he?

Videl directed her questioning (and slightly suspicious) gaze towards Erasa, who in turn laughed good-naturedly.

"Oh, Gohan?" she chuckled as if she just heard a joke. "He left soon after you went to fight crime, saying he had to go to the bathroom. But actually," her eyes rested amusedly on Videl. "I think it was just an excuse to get away from Angela."

It took a few seconds to process this new information, and once it did, Videl shook her head slowly. "How bad was it?" she inquired wryly, both girls exchanging a look of amused understanding.

"Bad," Erasa answered. Both girls knew that with Angela around, there was bound to be trouble as demonstrated earlier. They also knew that Gohan did not favor the girl much like they did, evident in his expression the other day after experiencing her stalker-ish tendencies.

"While the movie was finishing up, she kept clinging on to the poor guy," Erasa continued sympathetically. "It came to the point he became so red that he stumbled on his way out and ran for it. I think he even left a trail of dust behind him."

Videl quirked her brow. Interesting. "Wow. Angela must have been mortifying for him react that way," she stated. As far as she knew, Gohan rarely ever found people worthy of running from, that is, until Angela came into the picture. She felt a strange, violent urge to strangle the girl.

Erasa nodded. "Yeah, you wouldn't know," she said. "Poor Gohan! Let's go find him!" She began ushering Videl out the hallways, reinterring the bright, fluorescent lights of the cinema. Popcorn wafted in the air and people rushed past in a hurry to get to their movie.

"So this whole time," Videl said, continuing the conversation, "he was in the bathroom or something?"

Erasa shrugged. "I guess," she replied, "I haven't seen him since. I wonder if he knows the movie's over?" Then she blinked.

"Hey, isn't that him over there?!" Erasa exclaimed, pointing towards the counter where people milled around to order food. Videl squinted, and sure enough, she caught sight of a mound of dark, ebony hair that spiked upwards defying gravity. Gohan was currently handing money over to the receptionist, who in turn traded him a few dozen hot dogs, pizza, and soda.

Videl whistled. "Yup. That's him all right." Who else would order that much food and be able to balance it all nonetheless? Plus, there was a gray hoodie dangling from his arm. Was that there before?

"Goooohaaaaan!" Erasa hollered boisterously over the crowd, effectively catching the dark-haired boy's attention as well as a few insults from passing people close enough to hear her screech. Gohan pivoted his head sideways, catching sight of his friends. Erasa and Videl were already making their way towards him, the blonde grinning and Videl nonchalant as usual. A smile faint smile hinted at her lips though.

"Hi guys!" Gohan said good-naturedly, but his face broke out into a full-fledged grin once he saw Videl approaching closer. "Videl! I'm glad you're safe!" he said relieved, referring to her abrupt leave earlier. Videl smirked.

"What? You didn't think I would be?" she grunted with humor in her voice. She only meant it teasingly but for some reason, it seemed to have triggered an odd reaction from Gohan. Almost immediately, Gohan's obsidian eyes widened in a brief flash of alarm and he flailed his hands out in front of him.

"Of course not!" he denied quickly. "I was just worried you might've gotten hurt or something!" he said. But in a way, his statement and tone seemed somewhat… unnatural, like they didn't quite fit for some reason, as if he already suspected her of getting hurt. Videl frowned slightly, eying her friend. He grinned back winningly, with perspiration suspiciously coating his skin slightly.

"Thanks for the concern, I guess," she finally with a shake of her head. Her friend sure was weird. But Videl smiled slightly at this. She liked that she had a friend that worried for her well-being (although, of course, she was _always_ fine… most of the time).

"Anyways!" Erasa chirped with glee. "Were you in the bathroom this whole time, Gohan?"

"Bathroom?" the said boy asked, while wolfing down his food in one gulp. "What do you mean?"

"You know, with Angela?" At the sound of _her_ name, Gohan choked on the pizza he was currently vacuuming up, gagging on the slightly burnt bread. His eyes though, Videl noticed, sparked with sudden—realization?—before he quickly covered it up with a nervous laugh.

"Uh, yeah!" he said with a little laugh. It sounded stupid. "I was in the bathroom the whole time!" The two girls watched as he continued to laugh in forced intervals, a gaudy atmosphere emitting from his chuckles. They decided to dismiss their friend's usual aberrational behavior.

Erasa suddenly squealed in delight. "Gohan! Where did you get that jacket? Is it new?" she said enthusiastically, pointing at the fabric draped over his lap. Gohan looked confused for a second until he glanced down, doing a double-take. He jumped up in surprise.

"Um—er—YEAH! It's new! How did you know?" he stammered, with that awkward chuckle. Before Erasa could speak though, she was interrupted by a young voice.

"Hey! That's the boy who stole my jacket!" a little kid suddenly exclaimed from across the hall. He clutched his father's hand as they passed, pointing at Gohan.

"Now now Jimmy," the boy's father said patiently. "It's rude to point. I'm sure lots of people have the same hoodie as you. Don't worry, we'll get you a new one."

"But—" the young boy protested as the father continued to console his son. They walked out the automatic doors, shooting Gohan a sympathetic look before leaving earshot.

An awkward silence hung in the air among the three friends. Gohan turned to face them, his nervous chuckles fading as he scratched his back.

"Uh, coincidences, huh?" he said, sweat dropping. Videl quirked her brow suspiciously.

"Gohan, why did you have that boy's hoodie?" she said with slightly narrowed eyes.

"It's not my fault! I didn't do it!" Gohan quickly protested, denial in his voice. Videl rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Oh, then I suppose the donkey did," she said sarcastically, obviously not believing him. Gohan stared at her blankly.

"… what?"

Videl rolled her eyes at his gullibility. "It was an expression, smart one!"

"Videl, you're not making any sense. Are you feeling okay?" Gohan inquired, with worry in his voice. He brought his hand to her forehead. "Are you _sure _you're not hurt or anything?"

"Of course I—wait! Don't change the subject!" Videl scowled.

"But I didn't! You did!"

They continued to pointlessly bicker. Really, Videl knew Gohan was a terrible liar. He couldn't lie to save his life. Occasionally, the two would engage in pointless bantering whenever Videl caught him attempting to lie. She was incredibly good with telling truth from deceit. Of course, these lies were usually over small stuff, so thus, they had a friendly way of arguing, and it was quite fun to make Gohan squirm in his seat. She thought it was hilarious putting him on the spot sometimes and interrogate. Alas, it was a still an argument and could become just as aggravating after time passed.

"Will you guys _shut up?!"_ Erasa exclaimed, growing bored of their endless bickering. "Your yelling is _so _not good for my complexion. If Gohan really did take that jacket—I mean really, can you imagine, Gohan, _stealing?_—then it was probably just him using that to hide from Angela or something." She waved her hand in dismissal.

Gohan stared at her like she just ended world hunger. "Erasa! You're brilliant!" he exclaimed with his arms stretched out in glee and gesturing towards her.

"Of course I am!" she cooed, thriving at the compliment. "But why?"

"Becau—oomphs!" Gohan caught himself in time, remembering that Videl was still here and any slip-up could cause his best friend to use the facts against him. Sure, they were best friends, but Videl loved winning, even if it was over a little argument.

"Uh, I mean," he said slowly with a cough, "because that's _exactly _why I was using the hoodie! You're so smart! _Heh heh heh._" He laughed unnaturally with a goofy grin plastered across his face, sweating.

"Suuure you were," Videl said unconvincingly, but let the subject drop. Gohan was a horrible liar, but long ago she had made the decision that when he was ready, he could confide in her when he was ready and she would finally know all the secrets that made him so mysterious. She _did _want to give him space until he eventually came to. Besides, she supposed, his reason was legitimate. She sure as hell wouldn't want to involve herself with that crazy tomato of a girl.

After Gohan had finally polished off the last of his food, the threesome met up with the other half of their group, who were still waiting outside. Angela had an irritable expression permanently etched across her face, and it only shriveled up more when she caught sight of Videl. Videl scowled in return, a glare finding its way into her piercing eyes. The two girls made sure to stay as distant from the other as possible.

If anyone noticed the sudden tension that conjured up between the girls, they didn't say anything. Instead, Sharpner strode up to his girlfriend with his usual cocky grin, but it was genuine and happy. He enclosed his hands around Erasa's and the happy couple simply glowed. Videl could tell they did adored each other, and a despite her crabby mood around Angela, she could feel a smile tugging at her lips.

Marker came up with a kiss to her forehead, entwining their fingers together. "Hey Vi," he said grinning. "Ready to go?" Videl smiled a little in return and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. In the corner of her eye, she could see the tomato already attaching herself onto Gohan's arm again. Videl's eyes unconsciously narrowed. Angela's amber orbs met her's for a brief moment, and when no one was looking, promptly stuck out her tongue mockingly.

Seething, Videl flipped her off. For some reason, that girl could really get on her nerves!

Videl spun around, her long hair lashing behind her in a thick blur. "Let's go," she said with a gruff, this time tugging Marker in tow behind her confusedly with the others following behind her.

Suddenly, she couldn't wait for the night to end. Anything to get away from that damned tomato.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

The sun was setting and was gradually getting dark, casting shadows on neighboring streets. In front of them stood a polished building one-story high, quite plain, and loud, laughter was boisterous inside.

"Where are we?" Gohan asked somewhat bewildered, eyeing the building. Videl had no idea where they were either.

"This is the karaoke place 'Rase and I go to once in a while," Sharpner answered. "It's pretty awesome inside."

"Yeah!" Erasa piped in enthusiastically. "Every time we come here, we have lots of fun! What are you waiting for? Let's go!" With that, the blonde couple dashed off, disappearing behind the automatic doors. As usual, Angela followed soon after, dragging Gohan along with his feet dragging.

As the last glimpses of their friends faded out, Videl turned to Marker, who had not said anything since the moment they arrived. He stared straight ahead, eyes locked on the boisterous building a few yards in front of them. For some reason, his shoulders were tense and as Videl looked into his eyes, she saw a momentary glimmer of—panic?—residing in his caramel depths.

"Marker?" she asked, snapping him out of his reverie. He remained rooted to his spot until she linked her hand into his, and she felt his stiffen slightly until gradually relaxing once more. "Let's go."

An easy-going smile eased its way up across his face, but somehow, it looked off in Videl's eyes. Did he seem nervous about something?

"Yeah, let's go," he said finally before surging forward, Videl striding in even steps by his side.

Inside the building was quite different from what it looked like outside. Whereas the walls outside were dark and looming, the ones inside were more of a creamy blue color, with fluorescent lights softly illuminating the hallways. Pictures decorated the rooms, with unoccupied chairs casted off to the side. A single counter was in the center amidst the activity, a blonde cashier seated behind the table jotting down notes.

Erasa caught sight of them the moment they entered the room, and she wasted no time in ushering them forward with the group. Angela, Videl noticed, made sure to distance herself from Videl, which was absolutely fine with her. She could care less about the stupid tomato, and she reveled in small satisfaction that the girl at least found her somewhat intimidating to stay away from her. Gohan, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable, with Angela still leeching off the circulation on his arm.

"There you guys are!" Erasa exclaimed. "You guys are such slow pokes! For a second I thought you both bailed out on us!" she chided.

"Erasa, we only took less than five seconds," Videl said, rolling her eyes at her friend's dramatic tendencies. Erasa waved her hand with a dramatic flourish, waggling her finger in front of her face.

"Too long!" she proclaimed, "In five seconds, I could do so many things rather than waste them for friends who don't show up!"

"Aw, 'Rase, it's really not that bad!" Videl said, the two friends bickering. This really wasn't out of the norm; they did this every day.

"Yeah, but I'm not getting any younger," Erasa said dramatically before turning to face the cashier. The receptionist was quite pretty, Videl noted. She had strawberry blonde hair that cascaded down her back in wild curls and her lips were stained cherry red. Her cat-like hazel eyes glimmered and she looked around their age. Videl also noticed that she looked rather… revealing.

"A room for six please?" Erasa asked politely, addressing the girl and sliding money across the counter. At the sound of her voice, the girl glanced up from her paperwork and flashed a toothy smile in their direction.

"Sure thing," she replied, but stopped abruptly once her gaze fell on the group, specifically one person in particular. Videl watched the girl's painted eyes widen in recognition and when she turned to see who she was staring at, Videl saw that the gaze was directed at—

Marker.

"Marker?" the girl chimed in excitement. "Is that you? Wow, it's been so long! How've you been?" Familiarity was addressed in her voice, calling Marker's name as if they were old friends. Videl's eyes slitted into a glare and she could feel a scowl making its way across her face.

Marker froze. He slowly turned around to face the expectant girl. "Cherry," he said pleasantly, a stiff smile stretching on his face. "How's it going?"

The girl known as Cherry squealed and threw her arms around Marker. "Marker! I knew it was you!" she squealed in her high-pitched voice. Gosh, it was almost as bad as Angela. Videl wanted to rip her suddenly revolting arms away from Marker's neck.

"I haven't seen you in like, _forever_," Cherry said, emphasizing the word. "Where have you been? We've all missed you!" Videl narrowed her eyes. Marker… knew this girl? Apparently they knew each other very well too, seeing as how close in proximity they were to each other.

Marker squirmed uncomfortably, stepping back a little and spacing himself away from the blonde, which wasn't very much. She was still able to latch onto his arm, which he gently shrugged off, earning him a pout splayed in his direction.

"Just been busy, that's all," he told her smoothly. But Videl could detect the nervousness and off tone in his voice. It sounded somewhat defeated; just a hint of it. Obviously, he was hiding something and did _not _want anyone to know. Somehow, he was associated with this girl, and it seemed to be with her colleagues as well. What other secrets was her boyfriend hiding from her? And more importantly…

_Who the hell was this girl?!_

The said girl scowled but the playfulness in her eyes implied that she was merely joking. "Too busy to not hang out with us huh, Marky? You wound me," she feigned with a light-hearted pout. Videl glared daggers at Cherry, deciding she already _despised_ the girl. She reminded her of a certain _red-head _right next to her.

Then, Cherry seemed to remember that she had an audience and turned to face them. Completely ignoring any females present, Cherry glided her hazel eyes across the group, settling on Sharpner. Erasa immediately recognized that as a red flag and clutched her boyfriend's arm possessively, while shooting an uncharacteristic warning glare in her direction. Cherry sighed before her gaze veered further, settling on Gohan and dismissing Angela _completely._

For a while, Cherry gawked at the clueless Gohan, who simply stared at her back with that oblivious curiosity reflected in the depths of his orbs. Finally, she broke into a bright smile, unlatching herself away from Marker and instead casting a flirtatious wink at Gohan after looking him up and down.

"My, my, my," she said with an approving click of her tongue. "Aren't you a cutie? A friend of yours, Mark?" Marker spluttered.

"What?!" he denied as if she just insulted him. "There is _no way _we are friends! Not in a million years!"

Cherry ignored him, licking her lips seductively.

"So, how old are you, cutie?" she inquired at Gohan, raising a perfectly penciled-in brow. She leaned forward on her desk, resting her chin on top of her palms flirtatiously and gazing at him enthralled. From beside him, Angela growled. Gohan, oblivious as ever with the female's advance, answered honestly.

"I'm eighteen," he said innocently. But confusion was on his face; Videl could tell he honestly didn't know why on earth she would want to know his age. She really didn't know either.

Cherry purred in satisfaction and her grin widened wickedly. "Mmn. So you're legal." It was a statement, not a question.

"I guess?" Gohan said, confused behind the meaning. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Now _that _was just borderline creepy! Videl gaped at the girl and felt resentment boiling up and building towards the girl. She needed to do something before her precious, innocent friend would be tainted beyond repair.

"You know," Videl interrupted rudely, butting in between the conversation between her boyfriend, best friend, and… fruit. "Why don't you do your job? I'd really appreciated it if you directed us to our room," she said sweetly, shooting an angelic smile in Cherry's direction.

Videl could tell her statement rubbed the receptionist the wrong way as Cherry pursed her lips into a thin, hard line. She still managed a pleasant (though annoyed) smile though, and dug around in her register to hand her back change. "Of course," she said, and Videl wasted no time on turning from the blonde, grabbing Marker's hand along the way with the group trailing behind her.

She knew she acted like a bitch, but really, that girl was outright _flirting _with_ her _boyfriend. Heck, she was doing more than that! She was harassing her best friend too! That thought only served to fuel her anger more and Videl silently seethed, her aura radiating dark feelings. An image of Cherry flashed in her mind and Videl wanted to embed her fists into her face.

Videl had liked Marker since junior year, and their relationship only started progressing a few months ago, and she wanted to keep it that way. The only boy she ever crushed on finally decided to like her back so there was no way she was letting someone like Cherry interfere with that. Besides, wasn't it natural for her to feel that way? After all, no girlfriend in their right mind would just sit back and watch another girl advance on your man like that. Videl wasn't that type of girl; she would never go down without a fight.

Gohan, on the other hand, was a different story. He was one of the few _true _friends who had always stood by her side for the few short months he'd been here. Although their time together was small, Videl valued their friendship and knew that she could trust Gohan. She could count on him; he was her best friend and there was absolutely no way she was letting girls like Cherry or Angela corrupt him or take away another important person to her. There was no way.

"Videl…?" came a small, soft voice. Videl turned to face Erasa who was uncharacteristically quiet. Their eyes met and understanding shone in her emerald eyes. Each girl gave a slight nod in their direction, indicating in an unspoken agreement that she understood her behavior and helped ease the anger invading Videl's mind. She took deep calming breaths and smiled reassuringly; she would be all right.

With part of her anger evaporated, the stuffy atmosphere began to clear out and the whole group seemed to have sensed the change in Videl's behavior. Sharpner had already started chatting with Erasa, and even Gohan looked okay around Angela (although he still looked wary).

"Look! This is _so _cool!" Erasa was squealing once they opened the door to the karaoke room. The room was a relatively decent size, with red leather coaches making a crescent around the area. The floor was carpet, with striking red and white patterns decorating beneath their feet. A mini wooden stage was set up in front of the furniture, with microphones and the karaoke machine was ready to be used. A single TV screen jutted out in the creamy walls, flickering on for usage.

Erasa and Sharpner were already sprinting towards the singing machine, fawning over it like it was prized merchandise.

"Check it out!" Sharpner hollered excitedly. "They have every song on here!" He began naming a string of artists and albums that Videl had no clue even existed.

Angela excitedly dragged Gohan on the stage with her to assess the music options with the blondes. Videl and Marker hung back though. She had problem that needed clearing up, and that meant _now._

"Marker, who was that girl?" she deadpanned as they seated themselves on the couch. She cast him a long, hard look channeled into his caramel eyes, causing him to squirm under her gaze. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth to answer but Videl cut him off before he could even start. "And don't tell me you don't know her either. I want the truth. What are you hiding from me?"

Marker bit his lip before saying, "You know my past girlfriends?" Videl nodded her head willing him to continue. She knew that Marker had quite the, ah, history with the ladies. She haven't had heard much stories about his past, knowing that he was a player before they dated, but she never heard anything quite _bad_ about him. "Well, Cherry was one of them. Back before we started dating, I used to go here often with my friends and that's how I met her."

Videl was quite satisfied with the answer, but she still had one question plaguing her mind. "Do you still come here? You know, to visit her?" she questioned. For a second, a brief flash of something—panic? Alarm?—shown in his eyes as it widened the slightest bit. He quickly covered it, but not fast enough for Videl not to catch it.

"I don't see her anymore," Marker said quickly. But his voice quivered just the slightest, almost undetectable. Was he lying? It was hard to tell. "But I sometimes go here. Not often though. And don't worry," he said, reassuring Videl, "I haven't come here since we've dated. You've got nothing to worry about Vi, trust me."

He then shot her a charming, winning smile. "You know, I've been really happy since we've started dating," he said, causing Videl to blush a little. Just a little. Then his mischievous smile broadened wickedly. "Only sometimes though."

Videl smacked him lightly on the arm. "Hey!" she protested, but Marker laughed in turn.

"Kidding Vi," he said, wrapping an arm around her. He grinned further. "You're cute when you pout, ya know." That only made her pout more and another set of laughter rumbling out his throat. She was about to speak and interrogate him more (she wanted to know more about his past. Come to think of it, she never much paid attention to it) but before she could, Erasa had already walked up to them and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on Vi!" Erasa squealed delightedly. "Come up and sing with us!" She dragged her up on stage with Sharpner, who was currently attempting a rap song. He was failing miserably, but he looked like he was having fun. She noticed Gohan exit the room, probably going to the bathroom or something. Angela was seated on the couch, drinking something. Erasa handed Videl a microphone but she pushed it away, shaking her head.

"No thanks," Videl said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Maybe some other time."

Erasa pouted. "Aw, come on! Please Vi?"

Again, she shook her head. "I'm not in the mood for it right now," she said. "Why don't you keep singing with Sharpner instead?"

Erasa looked hesitant but eventually complied, but first making sure Videl promised to come up with them some day. Videl, of course, reluctantly agreed, but she knew it was the best she was going to get if she wanted to be left alone and relax.

Videl sighed. She really didn't feel like going out to sing tonight. She was already tired enough as it was with all the drama happening that day. First, she'd had to face clothing horrors, crime scenes, enigmatic phantoms, and near girl-fights _twice. _So basically, she wasn't in the mood to do anything besides letting loose. She'd rather just sit on the sidelines relaxing.

She slouched in her seat and allowed the tension in her muscles to ease. She almost melted in the chair. Videl let out a sight of content. It felt so _good _to finally be able to get the first moment of relaxation and assuage herself away from all the drama that day. It was great to finally be left alone in a tranquil atmosphere and simply relax in peace.

"Hey Videl, whatcha doin'?" came a slurred giggle.

The tranquil atmosphere was shattered.

Lazily, Videl opened her eyes with a wistful sigh, her blue irises groggily assessing the sight before her. Marker was grinning down at her with a lopsided smile lifted on his face, and his caramel eyes sparkled with mirth. He held a cup in each hand, which seemed to slosh a little over the edge when he stumbled over to her. A lone yellow drop sparkled as it slipped down the rim of the cup, splitting as it neared the floor.

Videl frowned up at the unruly state her boyfriend was in. "Marker, what are you doing?" she asked skeptically. In turn, the boy grinned goofily which made her heart beat a bit.

Marker let out a childish giggle. "No Videl! I asked you first, silly!" Then he shoved the second cup into Videl's hand. "Drink up Vi!" he insisted persistently. "It's real good!" He patted his tummy.

"Okay then…" Videl said as she took an unsuspecting sip into the cup. A mouthful of dry, bitter liquid ran down her throat, making contact with her tongue. She immediately recoiled at the taste, coughing and sputtering at the vile liquid. A shocking, nauseating tang hit her nose and Videl almost dropped her cup.

"Marker!" she sputtered, "This is alcohol! What the heck are you _doing?!_ You're underage! Where the hell did you get this?!" Marker merely giggled, irritating Videl even more.

"Well, duh!" Marker bowled over laughing like a hyena, clutching his stomach as he doubled over in drunken laughter. "Of course it's alcohol! Whaddaya think it wuz? Juice?" He set off in another peal of laughter. Videl slapped her head. Oh gosh, her boyfriend was so stupid. All it took was one little drink to transform his mentality to be roughly equivalent to a five-year olds. Actually, she was beginning to consider that even _five-year olds_ weren't as stupid as her boyfriend was acting right now. For a moment, Videl even felt somewhat ashamed that she was dating such a dork, but she quickly dismissed the thought, taking more important matters into her hands.

"Come on Marker," she said, getting up and setting the cup down. She gripped Marker's muscular arm, urging him up. "You're obviously out of it, and I'm taking you home."

Marker let out a stubborn whine. "No-o!" he thrashed out of her grip and plunged his butt back onto the couch. "I don't wanna! I'm having fun!"

"Marker…" Videl hissed warningly. He was seriously testing her patience.

"Videl, just let the guy have fun," came a snarky, and equally bitchy, voice. Videl whirled around to face Angela, who had appeared by Marker's side with a cup of beer in her hand as well. "Besides, it's just a drink," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Nothing serious."

Videl narrowed her eyes dangerously and nearly let out an animalistic growl. "Nothing serious?" she seethed. "You have no idea how serious this is! Do you know what would happen if we get caught with this?!" She gestured roughly at the yellow bottle on the table.

Again, Angela rolled her amber eyes. "Please," she scoffed. "Like who would ever know? And besides, who's to say what we can't do if_ you _can't even handle one simple _sip_?"

She knew she was roping her; taunting her. She knew that this was a trap; she could see it in her eyes. Videl knew, but her pride was insulted. She had just insulted her and there was no way she was going to get away with it after Angela had just implied that she, Videl Satan, was not capable of handling something as simple as a little alcohol. In a way, it was implying that she was weak and inferior to her, and Videl could feel her chest swell with pride and competitiveness at the challenge.

"That's not true," she said in a dangerously low voice, her sapphire orbs narrowed into slits.

"Oh please," Angela scoffed, "Goody-goody two shoes Videl is too afraid to take one drink. Obviously a _weak little girl _like you is too 'good' not to do something _naughty _isn't she? The only thing you're capable of doing is using your fists."

In any other situation, Videl would have slapped someone across the face if that person insulted her in such a way. But Videl was cornered. If she hit Angela now, it would only prove her point that Videl resorted to violence to solve her problems, and in this situation, it would only make matters worse. If she backed down, she would look like a weak coward like Angela had implied.

There was only one thing left if she wanted to keep her dignity.

Videl slowly reached for the cup, defiance radiating in every action she made. Angela slowly smirked, a sick, amused smile curling up her face.

This was wrong. She knew it was wrong. It went against everything that she fought for. Yet, watching Angela's smirking, smug eyes directed at her as if she were a little girl… it made Videl want to prove her wrong. She could feel her damned pride getting in the way of her reasoning… but a voice whispered in her mind that Videl could handle it. If someone like Angela could handle a few drinks, why couldn't she?

Videl slowly curled her fingers around the plastic cup, causing an encouraging, drunken whoop to emit from Marker's throat who had been momentarily casted aside and forgotten. But she ignored him, instead bringing the drink up to brush her lips. The sharp, pungent scent of alcohol hit her nose and made her want to recoil at the smell, but Videl refused to let that get to her head. She would follow through with this. There was no turning back now.

With no more hesitation, she tipped her cup and took a drink.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

The next hour was a blur for Videl. All she could register in her brain was that Videl felt funny. _She_ felt funny. She felt light as air, as if she was floating on cloud nine. She never felt so _happy, _so _bubbly._

Bubbly?

No, that just wasn't her. Maybe it was better to call it _tipsy._ But yet, she was feeling it. That little warm happy feeling blossoming in her stomach as she took another long swig from the plastic red cup she was holding. The sparkling yellow liquid oozed down her throat, and she eagerly drank more until each drop was squeezed dry.

Next, the world seemed to blur into a swirl of motion and color. Lights seemed to pulse and flash. What should have been one separate object merged into one, distorted and separating repetitively. She giggled. The world sure had an odd way of defying physics.

From beside her, Marker giggled along with her, their peals of laughter blending together to make beautiful melodies. His arm was gripped around her waist, and Videl liked that. She scooted closer to him, reveling in his touch. He made her feel wanted.

Clanking their glasses together, both laughed and toasted, each taking a turn to have a swig out the bottle. There was something that tickled her mind though; she had a feeling that she shouldn't be doing this, that drinking this beverage was bad. But as soon as that voice came out, it was squashed like a bug. Who cared? Certainly not Videl!

It was funny. How could she have thought the taste was so disgusting before? Now, she couldn't even tell it; everything was just the same. Happy and bubbly. Bubbly and happy. What could ruin this?

With a giggle (that sounded weird coming out of her mouth!), she and Marker staggered to their feet, making stumbling, uncoordinated steps toward the door. But what did that matter? They were walking fine and dandy, and they were having a great time! Hah!

From the distorted field of her vision, she could hear that girl—Angela, was it?—talking to her best friend Gohan.

"Gohan, come and sing with me!" shrieked the incredibly high-pitched, drunken, and giggling voice of Angela. Videl snapped her head up with a goofy grin. It was funny. An hour ago before all this started, she vaguely recalled hating her guts. But now? She was an absolute _sweetie._ She kept getting out those little glass bottles of yellow liquid!

Gohan's expression looked truly pained. "Sure thing," he said, lips straining to curve upwards. Videl wasn't exactly sure, because her vision seemed to swim so she couldn't really tell _why_ Gohan would be frowning; Angela was awesome!

Videl lifted her eyes lazily towards Gohan, her best friend! He was the bestest friend _ever_, she mused with a goofy smile plastered permanently on her face. She just loved how pretty he looked… yeah, pretty was a good word to describe Gohan, as well as just plain _hilarious!_ She began bursting into comical fits of laughter, not quite understanding how it made her laugh so much. All she knew was that she felt good.

Plus, it was funny to see him sing off key with Angela clinging to his arm while screeching into the microphone. He was cringing.

Hehe. Funny.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

The next thing she knew, she was outside the karaoke building, stumbling across the street as she and Marker held on to each other for support. He hiccupped alongside her, his breath tangy with alcohol. The cool air brushed all over her skin, sending an involuntary shiver up her spine. Goosebumps rose from her arms and warm puffs of breath floated into the crisp, night air, the misty fog evaporating into the breeze.

The street lights flickered, and the roads were virtually empty, save a few oddballs hanging around. They didn't pay attention to them though, and nor did Videl. All she knew was that she felt light and fuzzy despite the cold.

…**..::::;;;;;"""" SKIP """";;;;;::::…**

They stumbled into an alley, the breeze picking up. Videl tripped on her feet, plunging Marker down with her. She hit the hard, rough pavement with a grunt as Marker landed on top of her.

"Sorry," he grunted and slid off Videl. She managed to push herself into sitting position, and the world seemed to sway. Suddenly feeling the need to rest, Videl rested her back against the frosty brick wall of the building, her head drooping.

She was starting to feel sleepy; her vision was becoming a haze.

She felt warmth slide next to her, and she opened her eyes slightly to see Marker was sitting in front of her. He wrapped his arms around Videl's waist, and she shivered, feeling the warm running through her body. It felt nice.

Videl snuggled closer to him, the scent of alcohol lingering on his clothes.

"Videl," Marker murmured, his deep voice low and husky with—lust? She suddenly felt something warm and rough pressing against her lips, and Videl made no obligation to move. With Marker trapping her against the wall, he deepened the kiss, gentle at first, but it quickly started to become rough and demanding.

She moaned and gave a weak push against his chest. "Stop it," she mumbled through their lips. She wanted to go. It was cold, the kisses were rough, and she didn't want to be out here anymore. An ominous feeling dawned on her, but Videl could vaguely process it in the state she was in. She continued to push Marker, this time starting to squirm.

After a while passed of weak struggling, Videl gave him a harder push, this time a stronger shove that sent him stumbling back a few inches. "Stop it!" she repeated but she suddenly felt large, strong hands curl around her wrists, pinning her against the wall. Marker pressed his body against hers, and the warm, inviting she felt before seemed to have evaporated, leaving her with fright coursing through her veins. This wasn't pleasurable anymore; it was _scary._

Marker pressed his body against hers, limitedly disabling her movement and squirming. She felt his mouth come down on hers, far from the gentle ones she was used to receiving. Videl recoiled from his touch as if she had just touched acid, but no second later were his lips upon hers again.

Inside, she was screaming. She wanted nothing more than to get away. Videl continued to struggle against Marker but it was no use. Her mind was too out of it and distorted to defend herself, and the state her body was in was too weak to challenge Marker's stronger grip. He began to slowly inch the cotton of her shirt upwards…

A spark of determination flickered in the back of her mind, a familiar feeling Videl registered. Her fighting nature began kicking in. With a new burst of adrenaline, she somehow managed to get loose of Marker's grip only for a second, but that was all she needed. She plunged her fist into his face (missing his nose but managing to make hard contact with his chin) and shocked, Marker toppled back.

Wasting no time, she unsteadily got to her feet, using the wall as support. Despite her mind stuck in the hazy fog of alcohol, her brain still held remnants of rational thoughts enough to know that she had to get out of here or else she would be royally screwed. This was not Marker and there was no way in hell he was her boyfriend either. At the moment, she was an easy target; her strength was at its lowest. There was no telling what Marker could do to her in her state and Videl certainly wasn't hanging around to find out.

She began running.

However, no more than a few steps forward did she feel something rough and hard curling around her wrist, holding her back. Videl stumbled, her momentum working against her as she fell forward onto the pavement. She bit back the pain she suddenly felt on her head.

Before she could process it, _he_ was on top of her, pinning her arms against the ground and nuzzling his face into her shoulder blade and trailing kisses along her throat. In the meantime, Videl was thrashing and screaming but it was hopeless—he was too strong and her head was throbbing. For one of the first times in her life, did Videl feel completely useless. She stated into his warm caramel eyes that were so gentle before—now it was hard with lust.

He was hungry.

And she was the prey.

…**..::::;;;;;"""" END """";;;;;::::…**

"Don't you _dare _touch her!" a furious voice rang out from nowhere, shocking them still.

Suddenly she felt the weight lift off her and cold air rushed in, making her gasp in shock. But what struck her most was the person in front of her. Above her stood a looming figure, his form darkened by the shadows of the ominous building. But Videl could see his face clear as day, the light from the lamp posts shining down on half his face.

Gohan stood towering in front of her, with an expression she had never seen worn directed at _anybody_. He had a look of _pure rage _contorted on his face, and never in her life had she anyone look so _angry._ He looked outright _murderous, _and his obsidian eyes flashed furiously in a battle of control as he stared loathingly at the thing gripping in the clutches of his hand.

From where his hand lay suspended, was Marker hanging from the grip of Gohan's hand. His fist was embedded in the front of his shirt, the tall boy lifting the slightly smaller one dangling with ease. Marker's body squirmed to free itself from the death hold, but Gohan's grip was too strong; he couldn't break free.

Still delusional from her slight concussion and alcohol still running through her system, Videl could barely process the scene unraveling before her. The darkness swirled in and out of her vision, sending the world tumbling and swaying beyond her control.

Gohan seemed to have thrown Marker across the pavement and she could've sworn she heard a whoosh of air rush past her and Marker's shadow was tossed carelessly to the side. The sound of body hitting pavement made a heavy _thump _in her ears, but again, Videl's vision was failing her. She was losing consciousness.

In the background, she could vaguely hear yelling and distant voices swarming everywhere. Two were male, and other shrill and feminine. A low growl emitted from one of them—something about grabbing a cab?—and Videl felt herself being lifted from off the ground. Her first reaction was to panic; maybe they were bad. Maybe they were out to get her. In her delusional mind, Videl thrashed, hearing a screech splitting the air.

She just now realized it was hers.

But a soothing voice cooed in her ears, comforting and reassuring. His voice was smooth; cool and melodic like water and Videl felt her fear slowly diminish and her breathing start to calm and even. The voice sounded nice; it was deep and friendly and most importantly, familiar.

Blinking the haze out of her eyes, Videl looked up and vaguely registered that it was Gohan who was holding her. She kept staring at him, at those mesmeric warm dark eyes. She felt herself getting lost in them and snuggling closer to his body. It was warm. It was safe. It was comforting.

His hands delicately patted her head, his reassuring hands running down her hair, telling her that it would be all right. The tension eased from her muscles and Videl relaxed in his arms.

But she felt _exhausted._ Tired. With the quick burst of adrenaline now diminished, Videl was left with the empty shell of her body, unable to have the strength to even _move._ Her eyelids began to droop as sleep threatened to overcome her. She fought it though, struggling to stay awake. Although she was tired, she didn't want to sleep yet. She didn't know why, but she wanted to stay awake.

_Sleep,_ the soft voice said, and it was all the reassuring Videl needed to comply. She felt the will to stay conscious waning until she allowed her eyelids to droop heavily. She felt sleepy. The dark fog was already starting to blanket over her, coaxing her to fall into slumber. His onyx eyes gazed comfortingly down on her, and Videl felt safe.

However, before she could fully succumb to the darkness, she saw something that stirred a feeling in her chest; ignited a spark that was already there.

Just for a second… she could have sworn his eyes flashed teal.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_When you need a hand,_

_I'll be there._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE THAT. *Cringes* Ugh, I hope I didn't scare anyone off with this… I sure didn't like it. I can't believe I wrote about attempted rape. THAT SOUNDS SO BAD NOW THAT I WROTE IT. YUCK. And drunk people… I have honestly never encountered one in my life or been one myself, so I really don't know how they can act like. I think this behavior was suitable for Marker? *curious look***

**Sorry for writing such a scene, but let's face it: we all want Marker to go. I wanted to give Videl a reason to dump Marker as fast as I can to get the plot rolling. This was one of the speedier ways without, uh, 'getting rid' of him. Personally, I don't like killing characters so this was my solution: make Marker the bad guy! Dx**

**And I'm trying to write in more dialogue. Cuz I suck at dialogue and writing people-talk. Feels off to me :\**

**So for the next chapter, I think I'll write something happy x3 I like happy. **

**SEE YA. :D**


	6. Kidnap Videl!

**A/N: Hi everyone! :D Shhh… I shouldn't be online right now cuz I have school tomorrow and it's late. This shall remain a secret okies? The things I do for you. Anyways, I'm excited! As promised, this will be a happier chapter in contrast to the previous one! xD We are in high-time need of fluff. Cuz we're fluff-deprived. Or at least, I am x3 But first, I gotta figure out how people feel after a hangover… great… what DO they feel like? :O**

**Again, my utmost thanks to the most FANTASTIC people on the web! x3 Thanks SO MUCH for your support and thanks for making me feel better :D You guys are like sunshine, rainbows, and… LUCKY CHARMS! (hah! Puns!)**

**Ginjaa Ninjaa:** I KNEW IT! I just KNEW I made her sound like a druggie didn't I?! D: But oh well, it was an okay guess I think ,x'D

**Shadow12:** THANK you! Someone understands me! x'D And yes, your instinct holds true… x) You psychic?

**RaiynetheHedgehog:** I SHALL RANT WITH YOU. MARKER, GO DIE. LIKE NOW! And yes, it would be SO amazing to have your own Gohan sweep you off your feet! x3 Lucky Videl! She just gotta realize the most perfect guy is in front of her! And I'm glad that you like Erasa and Sharpner's relationship; aren't they just perfect for each other? :D and YAY! I'm still in the safe zone! *relieved sigh* I suppose it wasn't THAT dark, but better be safe than sorry! ,xD Goggles huh? Sounds interesting... I kind of want one now! xD and I don't mind your reviews being everywhere; I think a lot of us do that too :D (I know I certainly do ,x3 )

**Keep It True: **awww, thanks! :D those silly typos are certainly aggravating aren't they?! And I agree with you; description is hard! Especially colors and scenery! D: I've been reading _To Kill a Mockingbird _so that's been helping me build up my vocab a bit x3 (so much words! Awesome!). I'm glad I gave you some ideas! :D The more, the merrier! ^-^ I SHALL KEEP MY EYES PEELED. Speaking of which, you never _gave. Me. That. Cookie! _(yes, I'm haunting you even here. This is _far_ from over! Don't make me get turtwig out to get you! xP Feisty little thing he is). And I LOL'ed at your list. It's funny xD So that… actually happens… huh? 0.o Terrifying.

**SenpaiGabby:** Glad you're eager! :D And thanks for the support! ^-^

**RoronoaZoro87:** Thank you so much for the review! x3

**Crystale no otaku:** Heh. I'm glad you like this chapter! ^-^ It came out much longer than I expected, since I thought it was going to be _shorter!_ Ironic, huh? ,x3 Thanks for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: Someone stole Dino-Domo. Grr. And DBZ is not mine! (or quotes!)**

**Claimer: My two-year old brother is chasing me on his toy car. I'm the one riding the car.**

…

**Chapter 6: Kidnap Videl!**

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_Nowadays, people are superficial._

_So choose your friends wisely._

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**To put it bluntly,** Videl woke up feeling like shit. Really, there was no other way to describe it other than crude language. The moment she awoke from unconsciousness, pain immediately greeted her and she instantly regretted the decision to wake up at the damned hour. Sure, the pain was quite dull, but it still throbbed and pressed against her skull as if the air was constricting any space left for her brain.

There was excruciating pain splitting the side of her temples and the sunlight that streamed through the window curtains only served to make her pupils retract in irritation. Every bone, every muscle—it felt like lead weighing down her limbs. Never had she felt so heavy, and Videl felt herself twitching in discomfort. She grunted, breaking through her drowsy haze but what came out of her throat was a deep, croaking rumble. Her throat constricted, her tongue parched and devoid of nourishing liquid and a vile aftertaste was left swirling in her mouth.

Letting out another groggy groan, Videl slowly peeked one eye open, but snapped it shut instantly once it made harsh contact with the blinding sunlight. She rolled over, painfully and sluggishly so, her muscles weighing her down at the command of movement. Videl's face made contact with the white puffy pillow and she wallowed herself in suffocation in the cushion, her nose pressing against the soft fabric and closing off any source of oxygen. She lay like that for a few moments, fingers shaking as she scratched her head, the usual sleek and silky locks now a matted mess. Her skin felt hot and clammy and after waiting for a few painfully slow seconds, she finally kicked the sheets off her bed, letting it crumple heavily to the floor.

She was greeted with a whoosh of cool air, and Videl shivered in relief as the temperature cooled down her skin. She relished as the invisible blanket rested on her skin with ease, making her almost melt into the mattress. Videl snuffled her nose closer into the pillow, trying to subdue the headache throbbing in her mind. She hadn't felt this tired in years. Her muscles ached and she completely lost the will to initiate any movement, for it only caused her throbbing headache to increase in intensity.

She felt absolutely _exhausted_. Videl figured she might as well have been run over by a train to be feeling like this; not even warding off all the criminals she fought _combined_ would have made her feel like such a dead beat. She couldn't initiate simple movements unless she wanted to feel the sensory input overwhelming her mind. By far, this was absolutely the worse morning Videl had in her life.

Videl's mind spun, recollecting the events from the other night. What had happened to make her feel so… _dead?_ Memories and hours of being wasted plagued her mind, flooding it and causing it to swirl into turmoil. So this is what it felt like to have a hangover. Although her memory was fuzzy and disoriented, she could still pick out the most prominent events from last night. Angela and the alcohol. Marker and forcing himself on her. And Gohan…

Gohan saving her.

Videl let out a frustrated sigh, this time feeling angry about herself. How could she have been so _stupid?_ None of this would have happened if she hadn't let her damned pride get in the way of her reasoning. She shouldn't have let Angela pressure her and taunt her into drinking that alcohol. The moment it appeared, she should have just gotten Marker away from it and decline despite Angela's jabs.

But now? Now she was paying the price. She had went and stupidly gotten herself drunk after brushing off the dangers and consequences that would have come along with it. She didn't let the risks get through to her head and she had let her pride and ego overpower her reasoning. As angry as she was and as much as Videl would have loved putting all the blame on Angela, she couldn't. _She_ was the one to blame here; _she_ was in the wrong. _She _accepted those blasted drinks; it was _her_ actions. Damn tomato.

Videl had told herself that she would have been cowardly to refuse Angela's offer. She had convinced herself that if she hadn't taken that alcohol, she would have been deemed weak and her pride got in the way to prove her wrong.

But too late did Videl realize how wrong she was. By allowing herself to indulge in those drinks, she threw away her dignity with it. Because she was too vain to shoot down the temptation, her competitiveness, she had in turn acted cowardly instead of the other way around. If she had enough courage to deflate her ego a bit, she could have walked away and all these problems could have been avoided.

Yes, she would be jeered that she was a coward to not handle a simple drink, but at least she would still have the benefit of being the better person by not letting herself get roped into that trap. Now, she realized that because she had accepted that challenge, she had behaved rash and foolishly; it was because she had taken that drink that she was a coward, not the other way around.

She was a coward for being too weak to muster up the courage to say no.

If she had walked away, she wouldn't have been left in the wake of her consequences like she was now. Marker had almost deflowered her, she had caused havoc and panic among her friends, and no doubt there will be hell to pay.

And what of the police? A burst of panic shot through Videl, momentarily distracting her from that blasted headache. She knew that if this information were to leak about her mistake, there was no doubt that she would be kicked off the team, no matter whose daughter she was or how skillful she was at assisting in combat. Videl was still underage and had drunk, therefore breaking the law. If this information were to be known among the police, she would be forced to withdraw; she had tainted their name and might as well have stepped dirt all over them.

Shame filled Videl and her shoulders sagged in distress. She couldn't let them know about this. What would the chief think about her? He was just like family to her and if he were to know, she could just envision the disappointed look on his face he would wear; frowning as if she were his own daughter and had let him down. She couldn't let him know; if he did, it would crush her as much as it did him.

By now, Videl was seriously regretting her decision. She could have lost her virginity; she could have shattered the delicate trust between her and the people she considered as closest to her! Videl sank into the pillows. What had she done?

It was all her fault. Sure, Angela was the one who provided the drinks but the power and option was in her hands to decide whether she wanted to take it or not. And she took it. Now she was left to face the aftermath of her actions. If it weren't for Gohan arriving at the right place and at the right time, she would have been royally screwed. Who knew what Marker would have done to her…

An image of Marker flashed through her mind, his face twisted with lust as he pinned her down in her weakened state. The hungry look in his eyes; the stench of booze in his breath… Videl banished the thought, trying to make light of the situation. Sure, he was under the influence but that still gave him no right to do what he did to her. If Gohan hadn't saved her in time, she might not be still laying in her room like she was now, in the comfort of her blankets.

Although her memory was still hazy, she could still vaguely recall bits and pieces of his appearance, seeming to suddenly materialize before her, grabbing Marker by the collar and tossing him across the pavement like he was a fly. Remembering him caressing her in his safe, warm grip and easing the distraught mind she was in and easing her emotions with his deep, silky voice…

Videl shook her head in a vigorous flourish, causing a fresh wave of throbbing pain to wash over her. She rolled onto the flat of her back, rubbing her eyes and trying to blink away the fatigue in her body. She couldn't even bring herself to feel somewhat irritated that she was defenseless and allowed her kind, sweet, pacifist friend to go into a murderous rage. Videl's eye twitched. She would come back to this later, she thought. Her eyes adjusted to the fresh daylight filtering through the blinds, and her bloodshot eyes swept around the vicinity of her room, which was crisp and clean as she had last seen it.

Speaking of which… how did she get back into her room in the first place?

Videl frowned, trying to recollect all her thoughts from the previous night. She vaguely recalled someone calling out for a cab and herself being pulled along in something moving. She figured someone had driven her home; Erasa probably, for she was the only one who knew the way around her massive house (or mansion). But how could she have carried her? Videl was a petite and rather light girl, but Erasa was too and would have had a difficult time dragging her around her house to set her into her room. The maids were usually asleep at that time already too. And if Erasa had dropped her off, the blonde would surely have been by her side the moment she woke up and ranting to her on how reckless she was. So where was her blonde friend now…?

However, any thought of piecing together logic was momentarily casted away as Videl broke into a fit of coughs and one thought occupied her mind: water. Her throat suddenly felt overwhelmingly hot and dry, and she had an urgent and desperate need to relieve her taste buds with the cooling liquid and reviving it from the aftertaste the alcohol left behind.

Curling her tongue in disgust, Videl stumbled to her feet, placing her tiny feet on the cool, stable, carpet floor. But once she sat up to stand up straight, she felt the blood rushing to her head and she stumbled, her balance momentarily impaired as her vision fogged, her head feeling light and woozy. She lost her balance, causing her to topple sideways and almost bashing her head against the wall. Videl narrowly managed to catch herself, pressing against the hard wall for support as she caught her breath and allowed her blood pressure to settle down.

Videl's vision began to clear and she regained her footing, intent on setting foot towards the bathroom. How _humiliating._ Although no one was present to see her momentary lapse of balance, she still felt a flustered annoyance spread through her. Was she reduced to a person who couldn't even compose herself properly?

With a grimace, she probed her way across the room, her feet trudging lazily on the carpet floor, but once she crossed the vicinity and into the tiled floor of the bathroom, she gripped her handle of the sink to turn on the tap. Immediately, clear liquid oozed out of the glinting, curved metal, causing a soft rush of running water to fill the air.

With no hesitation, Videl dipped her hands into the stream, cupping the cool liquid and bringing it up to take a drink. It immediately quenched her thirst, her tongue feeling refreshed and making the putrid taste ebb away.

When Videl looked up catching sight of her reflection, she nearly had a heart attack. The person staring back at her had the same eyes, same hair, and same features. Except, the person in the mirror looked so _different. _Her eyes, although the same vibrant blue hue as Videl's, had lost its spark and was now baggy and tired with dark circles lining her skin. Her complexion was pale and clammy, with chapped lips and her hair stuck to her head sticking in all angles, the usual waves now limp and clumpy.

Surely this familiar stranger couldn't be her… could it?

In disgust, Videl banished the reflection with a dose of water, splattering the figure into a distorted and shapeless mess. Despite its now atrocious shape, she could still see those dull eyes staring back at her; haunting her…

She turned away repulsed, and allowed herself to immerse in a soothing bath for another hour.

After her satisfying shower, she emerged from the bathroom with a puff of steam trailing behind her and fully clothed, Videl flopped herself unceremoniously on her bed, rocking it at impact. She lay sprawled unladylike on her back, pondering about life in general. She decided she never wanted to touch alcohol again; she swore that if it were in a mile radius from her, she would banish it for good. No way was she making the same mistake again. Look at where that led her to; reduced to feeling absolutely _useless_.

However, her anguish thoughts were cut short as something fluttered down from her wall and landed lightly on her face. On instinct, Videl's hand shot up to grab the thing, but what met her fingers was a crumpled wad of paper, crackling from her violent grab.

Puzzled, Videl plucked the object off her face, now recognizing it as a newspaper. She smoothed out the paper, eyes scanning the article before her. In bold print, it read, "_Satan City's Newest Crime-Fighter?" _on the headline. Beneath the article had context about the mysterious crime-fighter, but what caught her attention most was the picture next to it.

There, a large image occupying a majority of the space filled the paper, in full color. The picture showed a figure amidst a body of men, whose faces were concealed with ski masks. The lone man stood isolated in the center of the affray, his feet hovering slightly above ground as his tense body was preparing to jet off into a blur. His face was scarcely visible, most of a golden light seemingly to emit from him distorting the sloppy angle of the camera, despite him facing it. However, his most prominent features were his hair and eyes. Although the quality of the photo was poor and blurry, one could still make out those undeniable spikes that defied gravity, its unique hue vibrant and golden. As a matter of fact, it seemed to _glow_. It was one-of-a-kind, nothing ever seen.

Underneath the photo, a caption ran along the sides in italics, seeming to frame the image and Videl felt her eyes become drawn to it. She brushed her finger tips across it, muttering the words aloud as she had done so those few months ago.

"_Last week, a phenomenal event occurred, with the arrival of a mysterious man single-handedly seen disarming robbers attempting to rob the bank. There are no leads to whom this mysterious man is, besides only one picture that was taken during this event. It shows him demonstrating incredible strength and speed, as well as the ability to fly. Onlookers claim that he had somehow totaled a vehicle during a speedy get-away. He is also described to be giving off a golden 'aura' as well as glowing hair and teal eyes. Could this figure, now dubbed 'Gold Fighter,' be a new hero of Satan City?"_

The article was written a few months ago, and Videl had made it her goal to discover more about this 'Gold Fighter'. She was determined to unravel this mystery, even going far as to questioning _Gohan_ on his first day, since he dressed similarly to the Gold Fighter as well as appeared on the same day as him. She quickly found though, that there was _no way _Gohan could be it; he was far too kind to even hurt a fly, much less a _horde _of robbers (besides, his hair and eyes didn't match the description).

However, she was so busy these past few weeks that the article and discovering this enigmatic phenomenon was completely forgotten and casted aside to mold. Now with fresh in her mind once more, Videl couldn't help but assess the situation.

With a start, she smacked her head. She was an idiot. It was so painfully obvious; the facts stood out clear as day. Her mind flashed back to the events from yesterday, during her close call with that pistol. Obviously, that mysterious 'teal-eyed figure' was the Gold Fighter! Her encounter with the hooded figure completely matched the description of him. Both had golden, glowing hair that was in spiked jags (even if covered) and each had a pair of piercing teal eyes. How had she missed this before? How had it completely slipped past her?

Videl came to a conclusion. Obviously, Erasa's clothing horrors must have done Videl some serious brain damage, as she was not able to function properly like she used to. _'That's it,' _she thought with a grimace. _'I am _never_ letting her dress me up again.'_

As Videl studied the picture once more, a sudden thought occurred to her. Videl's eyes widened in realization, mortification momentarily overtaking her features. With a sudden frustrated cry of anguish, she violently snatched up the wad of paper, throttling it across the room and impacting the wall with a pathetic smack. Not only was she saved _twice_ by her best friend and stranger all in one day, she was also vulnerable and helpless in both situations!

No. Videl Satan was _never_ helpless! If Videl thought her pride had already taken a beating, this took the cake. This was officially her _worst morning ever._

She glared at nothing in particular, her melodramatic mood slowly inching towards a sour grimace on her face. Her eye twitched. Someone was going to die today.

However, at that movement, the slightest of movements caught her eye. Her eyes snapped towards its direction—the window sill. There, a little pebble bounced off the glass, making a little _tap! _noise upon impact. It rolled across the edge of the porch, teetering dangerously off the edge of the balcony. A few seconds later, another came speeding at the window, this time a little louder and more demandingly before bouncing harmlessly back down to earth.

Curious as well as suspicious, Videl slowly slid off her bed, probing her hands around for the first item she could find. Her fingers curled around a bat(?) gripping the wood with caution. Stealthily, she inched towards the window, positioning the bat in attack mode. _Could this be a reporter?_ she thought with dread. Could it be that they found out about last night…?

A tall, long shadow appeared behind the fabric of her curtains, revealing a figure holding a rectangular object.

Her steely eyes narrowed. Oh heeeell no. _No one _climbs her porch without getting a thorough beating. Videl laughed somewhat maliciously as her mind conjured up death-by-baseball-bat scenarios.

Before the figure could react, Videl threw the doors open, curtains flying in all directions. Without hesitation, she swooped in, armed with her trusty baseball bat, and promptly brought down the bat on her target—hard. The man, now revealed to have curly hair, yelled in surprise as Videl continued to bash his head with the end of her lever. She began yelling incoherencies at him, her blows more murderous as her rage magnified ten-fold.

"Ow! Videl! Will you _stop that_?!" the figure cried, warding off the hazardous bat. She continued to violently swing it, as he dodged.

"Why should I you creep?!" she yelled back, aiming for his head. He dodged once more, and the bat left an indent on the railing.

"Because I'm your friend!" he said desperately, throwing his hands up in surrender. His voice did sound rather familiar, but Videl was by now past all reasoning.

"No you're not!"

"Am too!"

"Prove it!" she yelled, diving in to deliver another blow.

At that, the man knocked the bat out of Videl's hands—much to her surprise—and took a step back, scratching his curly hair. He grasped the curls between his hands before it completely slid off, the now-discovered wig exposing spiky, gravity-defying ebony hair and his onyx eyes came into clear view with her sapphire ones.

His goofy smile broadened cheekily, an embarrassed blush dusting his cheeks. "Uh, hi to you too, Videl." He scratched his back in a familiar, sheepish gesture.

Videl's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Gohan?"

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"So, what you're telling me is that Erasa sent you?" Videl deadpanned, studying her awkward friend with a brow raised.

They were currently in the kitchen, casually sipping Gatorade as if the earlier event had not happened. Gohan sat across the other side of the table, munching happily on some cookies (_huge_ understatement) and making himself at home while eating as if he'd never seen food in his life. Videl paid no mind to his bizarre eating habits; by now she was already used to his abnormal appetite.

After their earlier 'brawl,' Gohan had informed her that Sharpner had taken a cab to send Marker home, as he didn't trust him being in the same car with Erasa. Erasa, meanwhile, took it upon herself to take a drunken and hysteric Angela home, for she kept attacking Gohan with… displays of affection. In the end, Erasa had tried consoling the tipsy girl, but that had taken _all night_ and the blonde for once was deprived of her usual energy and bubbliness. She was currently out cold, exhaustion overpowering her will to stay conscious.

However, in her last moments of consciousness, she had called Gohan, demanding that he take care of Videl and that the fate of her sanity was in his hands, for she was currently immobilized to be of any use. Gohan, being the person he is, took her words by heart and went out to fulfill the mission she had specifically assigned to him, dubbed "Mission Kidnap Videl!"

So thus, there they were, casually sipping sports drinks after a near-death beating from the newly discovered Baseball-Bat-of-Doom. It was currently residing in a lonely corner, tattered, beaten, and forgotten.

Gohan sweat dropped in his seat, grinning sheepishly. "Yup, that's what she told me," he said, referring to Erasa. Videl couldn't help but wonder if she had a drink herself. Videl sighed in exasperation.

"So basically, you are going to 'kidnap' me," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Gohan nodded, unfazed by her snarky behavior.

"Well, that's a way to put it," he said, "but technically yes. Erasa told me to bring you out today and have fun. Something about 'needing a breather' and stop being 'uptight.'" Then Gohan pouted. "But you didn't have to _attack_ me! Is that how you usually greet people?" Videl glanced at her friend, taking note of his unscathed demeanor. There was not a scratch on him, not a hair out of place. His skin even shined with cleanliness, no bruise sported on his fair skin. She glared at him but to her disdain, it seemed to bounce right off the boy. She made do with rolling her eyes.

"I don't need a 'breather.' And besides, it's your own fault that you decided to make an entrance to the window. You should know that I don't take those things lightly."

Gohan slumped in his chair. "Yeah, but a _bat?_" Gohan said incredulously, gesturing at the famed item. "Isn't that rather extreme?"

Videl crossed her arms, grinning slightly. "Pch," she scoffed, "_nothing _is too extreme! Besides, why'd you go to the window anyways?" She squinted at him questioningly. Gohan chuckled, scratching his back.

"For one," he started, "it wouldn't really be kidnapping if I went through the door and besides, your father would have noticed too!" Gohan knew that Hercule Satan absolutely _despised _boys around his daughter, even if they were just friends. Marker had barely passed his test; he was unable to defeat him but being one of his pupils, he had _just enough_ trust in him to have the go to date his daughter, but just _barely._ If he knew what had happened the other night, the boy would surely have gotten his arse kicked to New Namek and back. Any boy incapable of defeating the great Hercule was not permitted to enter their manor. Not even Sharpner was an exception.

"He sleeps 'til noon, which gives you no reason _not _to go through the door," Videl stated bluntly. "He wouldn't even have noticed." Videl had always found it quite interesting how Gohan never fawned over her dad like many others do, but she found the change refreshing. As creepy as it sounds, quite a majority of the population (i.e. the whole world) knew practically everything about the champ, so Videl wouldn't have been surprised if Gohan knew. But yet he didn't.

"How was I supposed to know that?!" Gohan defended, shoving another cookie into his mouth. It was his twenty-seventh dozen or something… Videl had long lost count.

In turn, Videl shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it would be better if you'd given me a call." She raised her brow as Gohan slapped himself.

"Why didn't I think of that?!" he exclaimed. She was about to retort before he brought his hands up to silent her. "Don't," he said simply before a happy look adorned his face. "So does that mean you're going with me?" Gohan asked, staring expectantly with a gleam in his eyes.

"No," she deadpanned.

Gohan's face fell into a small frown. "… Please?"

"… No."

"Videl," he said in an uncharacteristically stern voice, "if you're not coming, I—" He paused to think of a good word. "—I'll be very sad," he finished.

Stubbornly, Videl shook her head, arms crossed. She had made her decision, and there was no way she was going. That is, that was what she thought until Gohan took one step closer.

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"Gohan, where are we going?"

After Gohan had successfully 'kidnapped' Videl and they departed her home, he had taken her inside the city, walking aimlessly in such a way that Videl suspected he didn't know where he was going.

And how had she gotten herself roped into this? Oh yeah, it was because Gohan had unleashed the Son-Puppy-Eyes on her. He had looked so _sad_ and _hopeless_ that Videl could feel her walls crumbling until she finally gave in and screeched for him to stop giving her that look. Videl slapped her head and groaned. She seriously needed to have a chat with Erasa. Her behavior was a bad influence on Gohan. Unless… _HE WAS ALREADY A MASTER IN DISGUISE?!_

She glanced at the said boy, scratching her wig, which Gohan insisted she wear to conceal her identity. It was brown and cropped just below her shoulders. She had refused to go blonde (Cherr—fruit) or red (… tomato) and instead made due with brown. She found it rather irritating, the false hair itchy and causing more perspiration to build up on her head under the sunny day.

Videl did have to admit though, it felt nice to pass by in the streets without people openly gaping at her. She felt a feeling she hadn't felt in years; she felt _normal._ She was walking among everyday people like she was an ordinary teen without being stopped to receive an autograph. Although Videl wouldn't admit it, she rather liked the experience. She was just another person.

Videl glanced up at Gohan, who had taken off his original curly wig (she said it made him look stupid and refused to go outside with him looking like that. Videl was by no means a fashion expert, but even she knew what a horrible combination it was on her friend).

"Gohan," she repeated, "where are we going?" Gohan, in turn, grinned cheekily before responding to her question.

"How should I know?" he said casually. Videl did a double take.

"What?" she exclaimed. "You mean you brought us here with _no idea _where we _are_?!" To her annoyance, Gohan merely gave a good-natured shrug.

"I rarely ever go to the city besides for school," he said. Then, a broad smile graced his lips. "Let's just walk around and see where that takes us. Like an adventure!" he said with childish enthusiasm. Videl stared at him in a mixture of incredulity and curiosity, pondering on what to say. But a glance into his eyes made her decision and she gave in.

"Why not?" she found herself saying, causing a broad grin to grace Gohan's face. Besides, it couldn't be _that_ bad. They were just exploring the city. Nothing extreme.

Suddenly, a loud roar grumbled from beside her, involuntarily causing Videl to jump. She glanced up at Gohan, who sheepishly scratched his back with a smile while rubbing his stomach. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to that. Gohan stared at her hopefully before Videl let out an exasperated sigh.

"Let's go fill that bottomless pit first, big guy," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand and Gohan simply glowed, not hesitating to stake out the nearest restaurant and making a beeline for it. Videl followed behind, easily able to keep track of his spiky hair. They really stood out.

Coincidentally, the restaurant was the same one they had gone to yesterday, as well as the same cashier serving them. The cashier immediately recognized Gohan and a look of pure horror spread across her face. Videl laughed softly as her expression turned faint after every order Gohan dished out. The girl was frantically scribbling things down, in a fruitless attempt to capture his request.

"Hey, you want anything Vi?" Gohan asked, turning around to grin at her. Finally catching up, Videl studied the menu before slowly nodding.

"I think I'll get a sandwich," she replied, digging around her wallet to fish out some cash. However, Gohan placed his hands on hers, stopping her, and flashed his big, innocent smile.

"Don't worry about it Videl," he said kindly, handing the cashier his own money. "I'll pay."

Before Videl could protest that she could pay for herself, she was too late, as Gohan already got his cash back and was snatching up his mountain of food, her own supposedly lost in it somewhere. Videl followed him to a table outside, somewhat at lost for words. That was a rather… nice… gesture. Inside, she was smiling, but hid her grin from Gohan. Her face felt kind of warm, but it must have been the afternoon sun shining down on them. It _was_ rather hot.

"Thanks," Videl said, hiding a small smile from Gohan as they seated themselves. Gohan had pulled out a chair for Videl, sitting himself once she was seated.

"No problem," Gohan said with his own smile, handing her a sandwich.

For a while, they made small talk, and Videl found that she was actually enjoying her time in spite of herself. They talked about anything in particular, about school, sports, et cetera. They actually had quite a lot in common, and the occasional disagreements were merely casted off in joking arguments, as well as entertaining. In those moments, Videl forgot that she was Satan, and that she was actually truly having a good time. She momentarily forgot all about her problems, about Marker, and just spent her time enjoying her conversation and meal with her best friend.

As their conversation drifted off towards other topics, Videl looked fondly at Gohan, thinking of how such a great friend he was to her. During her lowest moments, he had taken her out to cheer her up and even managed to summon the smiles that seldom crossed her face. He even treated her, pulling out her chair like he did for Angela yesterday.

With a start, Videl found her thoughts wandering towards Marker. They were so _different._ She was sure Marker liked her but she wistfully found herself thinking that he should be more like _Gohan. _Videl knew that Marker was a great guy (she chose to ignore yesterday's inclusion) but he somehow lacked something that Gohan had. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, the thing that made Gohan a little more special.

Was it his innocence? No, no one she knew was as innocent as Gohan. Their humor? But that didn't work either, since both had some form of wit in them. Maybe it was his kindness.

After pondering that thought for a while longer, Videl came to a conclusion with a start. What Marker lacked in their relationship was the feeling of _normal_. But around Gohan, she had that.

He gave her a sense of normalcy. She felt different around each man. With Marker, Videl felt like she had to prove something, like she had to do her best to please him and be a good girlfriend while still being in control. Whereas when Videl was with Gohan, she felt at ease and comfortable; she could be herself. She could laugh and smile freely without a worry about judgment, and she had nothing to prove. She was just Videl, not a famed martial artist or girlfriend, just simply herself.

"Videl, you okay?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Videl found herself staring into the depths of deep, onyx orbs filled with curiosity, concern, and care. In turn, she nodded slightly, saying, "Yeah, just thinking." Déjà vu struck her; the conversation replaying was so much like the one from yesterday.

As if on cue, Gohan cocked his head to the side, concerned. "Are you sure?" he asked, furrowing a brow. This time, instead of snapping at him like she had, Videl opted to just shrug it off.

"Yeah, it's not a big deal. Don't worry about it," she replied nonchalantly. Gohan studied her for a few more moments before he relaxed, his face easing back into its carefree smile.

"Okay, if you say so," he said before rising to throw all his trash away. "Since we're finished, let's go now!"

The next few hours passed in a blur, but both teens didn't notice. They were enjoying themselves and time didn't matter. At one point, Videl spent her time scrutinizing Gohan, noticing the odd resemblance he had with the Gold Fighter. How that topic popped up in her head, she didn't know, but if she thought about it, they _did _look alike, with their abnormal spiky, gravity-defying hair and piercing eyes.

But as soon as the thought came, it vanished. Videl had chuckled, thinking of how silly it was to think that _Gohan, _of all people, was the _Gold Fighter._ For one, he was way too soft to be him and besides, by the looks of it, their personalities didn't match at all. Gold Fighter was more serious and stoic while Gohan… well, he was the opposite. Videl honestly couldn't imagine him fighting crime; he was a pacifist after all.

No thoughts of that relation came after that, and by the time the sun began to set, Gohan and Videl had already been to a park and swung on the swings despite Videl's reluctance (it took quite some coaxing). They had also cleaned out _two whole _sushi bars, leaving the owners in tears. Videl was convinced that Gohan would've eaten out a chain of restaurants if she had not stopped him. That boy's stomach had unbelievable capacity.

The last place they went to was an arcade. Gohan was elated, since it was his first time going to one. They spent a good two hours there, each teen challenging the other and none willing to back down. All the games in there were played with sheer competitiveness, repelling any soul wanting to get in the way of the ambitious teens. Each had a look of murderous determination on their faces, intent on winning, and people made sure to steer clear from the two (actually, Videl was more competitive; Gohan was rather meek).

Whenever Gohan would lose, Videl would boast proudly about her skills and in turn, Gohan would grin and occasionally tease that she was just lucky. This caused bickering to come forth, for Videl was a proud woman and to her, luck had nothing to do with pure skill.

However, whenever Videl lost to Gohan, she would put up a good fight that he won out of pure luck, which Gohan would shoot back at the hypocrisy of it. Of course, they were merely joking, but they found the heated arguments to be somewhat fun. Their bantering was rather childish, but strangely, Videl found herself amused by it, entertaining even. Gohan was the only person she could properly have a good fight against, his intellect against her logic.

Their pandemonium came to the point where the manager kicked them out, claiming that they were 'causing a disturbance among the peaceful atmosphere.' Videl shot him a look indicating that he was pure idiocy, for an arcade was never peaceful. This resulted in another heated debate, this time between Videl and the _manager_, but Gohan was there to drag the fuming girl away in attempt of peace. In the end, they were banned from coming ever again, and the disguised girl seethed to herself while Gohan reassured that there were other places they could go to.

After their misadventures in arcade games, the two were now on their way back to the Satan Mansion, opting to walk rather than fly. Videl wasn't too eager to go home yet because it meant that tomorrow would come sooner, meaning that she would eventually have to return to reality. Although she had escaped thoughts of the previous day for a while, even Videl knew that she would eventually have to confront Marker again. It was not something she was looking forward to.

"Hey! What's that over there?" Gohan was saying, pointing to a tall, rectangular object against the wall of a store. It had a long, navy curtain draping over the sides, obscuring the inside from view. Videl looked up from her vanilla ice cream that they had stopped by to get, staring at the thing Gohan was talking about.

"I think it's a photo booth," she said, squinting. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and raised a brow when a look of excitement crossed Gohan's face.

"Let's check it out! It's my first time seeing one and I want to see how it works," Gohan said, gobbling up the last of his ice cream, which consisted of all the colors of the rainbow. Videl saw no harm in taking a picture, and supposed it wouldn't be too bad to take some snap shots.

"Sure," Videl nodded and the two teens strode over to the photography machine and stepped inside. The area, as expected, was very limited as Gohan barely managed to walk in (due to his height) and it was only big enough to fit two people. In front of them was a miniature TV screen with button panels underneath. Gohan slipped money into the slot and the machine came to life, lights flashing.

"Get ready Vi," Gohan said, plopping down on the little seat without taking his eyes off the screen. "It's about to start!"

Sure enough, the moment Videl sat down, the machine began to count down, and both teens found themselves waiting in anticipation for the first shot to come. It came as a sudden blinding light, catching them by surprise. They only had a few seconds to prepare for the next picture, but this time, they were ready.

"Smile!" Gohan said before going still for the camera to flash. Videl opted to smirk, crossing her arms in the familiar pose. Gohan pouted and another flash went off, this time with Videl smearing her remaining ice cream in his face at the last minute.

She laughed at his expression as he wiped the white goo off his cheek, frowning comically. That abruptly ended when Gohan's hand shot out to 'bump' the frozen desert, leaving a sticky streak on Videl's face.

"Gohan!" she exclaimed, abandoning the cone and stared dubiously at the laughing boy. With a devious glint in her eye, Videl shoved him, completely forgetting about their photo-taking, which was still resuming. The said boy toppled over out of his seat, landing with a thud on the ground with the bottom half of his body sticking up. Videl laughed, and the camera went off.

Gohan got back to his feet and attempted to glare at her, but miserably failing. The grin he fought came back on his face.

"Hey!" he exclaimed accusingly, "that wasn't fair!" In turn, Videl crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue mockingly.

"Life's not fair," she retorted, "get used to it." She retrieved the abandoned ice cream and flicked some droplets onto his face. This time, Gohan just laughed it off, grinning from ear to ear and wiping the drops off his face good-naturedly. The camera flashed again, catching their attention, and both readjusted themselves for the remainder of the photos.

Videl was chuckling slightly to herself; she had never laughed so much in one day, or so hard. She glanced up at Gohan, who was fixated on the camera screen in anticipation for it to go off. Those warm onyx eyes were transfixed ahead, glimmering with excitement and his trademark grin was spread across his face. He looked so happy and carefree, and Videl felt that she did too. She hadn't felt so young in forever, without a care in the world and looking now at Gohan, she could see that her bad week was turning for the better because of this boy. He was truly one of the best people Videl had the luck to meet.

Her full attention was now focused on her raven-haired friend, and she felt a warm feeling spread from the root of her stomach and out towards her body, a soft thrumming beginning to emit from her chest. She didn't know what came over her but suddenly, Videl felt compelled to touch him. She became aware of how close they were, Gohan's legs pressing against the sides of her own and she could now smell the scent of cedar and pine faintly on his skin.

Her breathing unconsciously began to quicken and Videl felt herself leaning in, now able to feel the warmth vibrating from his body. Without thought and merely acting on instinct, Videl leaned forward, tilting her head upwards before placing a soft kiss on Gohan's cheek.

It was a sweet and quick kiss, a barely-there innocent touch. Yet, the contact was immediate and as cheesy as it sounded, it sent sparks jolting throughout Videl's body and judging by Gohan's face, he might've felt it too. Her lips only fluttered there momentarily, but broke away right after contact and realization hit her, Videl involuntarily scooting back in their suddenly confined space.

She could feel warmth blossoming across her face and Videl averted her gaze, for once in her life squirming in her seat. Gohan's jaw was agape and wore a look of shock as well as flustered. He shyly glanced down, a faint blush tinging his cheeks as he rubbed his back meekly.

"Heh," he mumbled nervously, shyly averting his gaze away from Videl.

A flash went off, startling the two and they jumped in their seats. They glanced at the frame, remembering where they were and the screen flashed the end of their session.

"Um, I guess it's over now," Gohan said, glancing nervously at Videl. At eye contact, both quickly glanced away, flushing. Silence ensued between them and Videl mentally berated herself. What was _wrong_ with her? Why had she gone and kissed her _best friend,_ even though it was an innocent peck on the cheek? It was so out of character for her; Videl did not kiss random guys on the cheek, even if they were her friends! And to her horror, she realized that she was still Marker's girlfriend and yet, she _liked _the kiss… just a little. Videl glanced shyly at a blushing Gohan. Did she just ruin the friendship they had between them?

From the side, Gohan awkwardly coughed. "Uh, Videl?" he said, words trailing off with uncertainty and breaking the awkward atmosphere. Videl jumped. "What was that for…?" Those shocking obsidian orbs turned to stare into her sapphire ones and Videl's mind reeled. She couldn't possibly tell him that she had a compulsive urge to kiss him just moments ago.

"It was just a thank-you," she found herself blurting out. Videl, _blurting?_ No, she had to get a grip right now!

Gohan cocked his head to the side questionably, the pink starting to fade off his cheeks. He blinked. "For what?"

"For, you know, helping me forget about yesterday, and helping me feel normal," Videl said, quickly composing herself. This topic was _so _out of her comfort zone.

"Oh, no problem Videl. I just do what I can," Gohan said with a lopsided grin. The awkward atmosphere was gradually thinning but it was far from its usual norm. "So that kiss… was just a way of saying thanks…?"

Videl nodded. "Pretty much."

"Oh."

Silence hung in the air and unsure of what to say next, both teens scooted out of the photo booth, Gohan plucking off the strip of photos from the slot. He squinted at the pictures before breaking the silence.

"Hey, these actually came out pretty clear," Gohan stated, handing the picture over to Videl.

Videl took it, ignoring the brush of his fingers against hers. She stared at it for a while, her eyes scanning the strip downwards. The first image showed them staring into the camera unexpectedly, the next with Gohan grinning while Videl smirked. Her gaze traveled downwards, and she grinned when the photos showed her and Gohan smearing ice cream on each other, Gohan's face morphed in surprise while a devious smile was plastered on her face. The next showed the feet of Gohan in the air with Videl laughing at his misfortune.

The grin fell off her face though, when she saw the last two pictures of them together. Videl had her eyes closed somewhat, placing a delicate kiss on and unsuspecting-Gohan's cheek, who was still grinning into the camera. The next slide, however, was the last, showing the two shyly averting their gazes from each other. Gohan was chuckling sheepishly while uncertainly scratching his back. Videl had casted her gaze to the side, pink tinging her cheeks heavily. They both looked so awkward, so innocent…

Her eyes lay locked on the photos, not sure what to make of it. If she were someone else, she would have said it looked nice, _cute_ even_, b_ut this was Videl and Gohan here, and she _could not_ think it was cute with her best friend.

"So, do you want to keep it?"

A deep voice shocked Videl out of her thoughts and it took a moment to realize it was Gohan, who was leaning over her shoulder to peer at the picture.

"Sure," she mumbled, slipping the pictures into her pocket, but careful not to crumple it. She immediately cursed it, wondering why she hadn't given it to Gohan instead. But that would be weird, and she wasn't sure if he even _wanted _to keep it. Maybe she should throw it away later. That thought was immediately banished though, because she still liked the photos since it reminded her of today. Videl decided she would just ignore the kiss part.

And so the two continued on their path back to Videl's house, the awkward air remaining. It was silent for most of the trip and both seemed to walk somewhat farther from each other than usual. Videl was aware of her heart pounding, but she assured herself that it was just from nerves. She glanced at Gohan, unsure on what to feel about him. He was her best friend… she didn't want to ruin that.

"Hey, Gohan?" she asked absentmindedly, looking fixated in front of her.

"Hm?" Gohan said, turning in Videl's direction as they continued to walk.

"You're my best friend, right?" she inquired. For some reason, Videl wanted to make sure that that was what they were. Just friends.

"Yeah…" Gohan said, unsure on where she was going with this. "Of course."

Videl nodded in approval. "Good. That kiss back there…" she took a deep breath. "It didn't mean anything, okay?" She turned to face Gohan, her sapphire orbs unreadable. "It was just my thanks to you. For being there for me."

Gohan slowly blinked, before smiling a little. "Like I said, I do what I can."

A nagging thought that had been locked in the back of her mind came forth in Videl's thoughts and her brows began to furrow. "Why? Why did you bring me out today?" she asked, looking stoically ahead and tightening her jaw. Gohan blinked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, somewhat skeptically.

"I mean," Videl said, turning to face Gohan once more. Her gaze was locked onto his. It killed her to say this but she had just recently learned that in order to learn to control her ego, she would have to swallow her pride to admit things sometimes. "I'm not that great of a person. When we first met, I was only rude to you, but yet you treat me with kindness. Soon, we became friends but even then, I hardly do anything for you in return. Yesterday… you defended me when you didn't have to. When I had stupidly gotten drunk due to my own _stupid pride,_ in the end it was _you _who helped me and it was _you _who took me out to cheer me up when I stubbornly insisted I didn't need it."

"So my question is," she continued, pausing for breath, "why? Why go to all that trouble when the only thing I do is cause trouble for you? Why do you bother putting up with me?"

During her whole speech, her eyes had not left his but yet, Videl paused, waiting in anticipation for him to answer. The deafening silence intensified as Videl waited, eyes never leaving Gohan's onyx ones.

"Videl, I admit that sometimes you are a handful, as well as hot-headed," he finally said jokingly with a grin. That earned him a slap on the arm from Videl. "Anyways," he continued, "despite this, I put up with you because I think you're a great person, a friend I value. You're one of the first people who came to accept me, and I value that. You're also kind," he paused. "When you want to be."

"Hey!"

Gohan laughed, ignoring Videl's protest. "I help you because you're my friend. You do more for me than you realize—"

Videl couldn't help wondering what the heck _that _was.

"—and obviously, I'd help you if you're in trouble. Videl, you're only human and it's fine to make mistakes once in a while. I know you feel like it's your fault for what happened to you but you were also not completely there; you were vulnerable, and that does not make it your fault that Marker nearly did what he did to you."

Videl scowled, but let him continue on anyways.

"And that's also the reason why I took you out today, to give you some air to relax and let loose all your stress. Besides," Gohan joked, summing up his monologue, "that's the point of 'kidnapping' you, wasn't it?"

In turn, Videl rolled her eyes and slapped his arm. "Whatever big-shot," she retorted with a snort. "You did not 'kidnap' me. You just looked so sad that I actually had a heart to come to make you feel better." Despite her words, Videl was smiling, feeling the tension between them dissolve. It was just like back to normal. Although she would never admit it, this day hanging out was definitely what she needed. She actually _did _feel better, now that she was given time to think.

Gohan merely laughed at her, his goofy grin returning. "Sure, whatever you say," he was saying.

For the rest of the way back, they fell into step with each other, moving in sync at an easy-going pace. They were in no hurry, and it was relaxing. Videl studied the trees around her as sunlight began to fade, hues of red and yellow streaking across the horizon. The breeze rustled the leaves gently as the air began to chill as day turned into night.

They finally arrived at the Satan Mansion, and Gohan led Videl up to the gates. But rather than going in, they simply stood there, a tranquil silence passing between them. Videl stared straight ahead, wanting to run inside but at the same time, not quite willing to. She didn't want the day to end yet.

"Well," Gohan said, but that was it.

"Well," Videl agreed. They stood to face each other.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Gohan inquired with a grin.

"You know it," Videl said before taking a few steps up to pass the gate. But before Gohan turned around, a thought struck Videl and she found herself wheeling around to face him again.

"Oh, and Gohan?" she asked, stopping the boy before he was off.

"Yeah?" he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. She had no idea what came over her but she had this sudden need to confirm something, to keep this the same as it was before.

"Promise me," she started, looking straight into Gohan's eyes. Gohan nodded, willing her to continue. "Promise me…" she repeated, before looking up, "that we'll be best friends no matter what," _and nothing more_, a voice in her head whispered, but Videl didn't notice it. She was too busy studying Gohan.

The raven-haired boy stared back at her, expression unreadable, before slowly nodding.

"Yeah," he said, lips curving slightly. "I promise."

At that, Videl felt a somewhat relieved feeling wash through her, and she breathed out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. In her heart, she felt—disappointed?—but was relieved at the same time for reasons she wasn't sure about.

Shooting him one last wave, Videl shouted out a final "See you tomorrow!" to Gohan before disappearing behind the door. It closed shut with a small bang, echoing in the silent night. Gohan stood there for a few more moments, contemplating on what had just happened. He sighed wistfully, his warm breath rising up in puffs of mist.

"See you…" he said under his breath before starting back on his way home.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Friends pick us up when we fall down,_

_And if they cannot pick us up,_

_They lie down and listen for a while._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: First, I want to say I'm sorry if my writing sucks towards the end. I feel sleep-deprived and might as well be a zombie when I wake up. I'm honestly too lazy to go back and edit this, or **_**read**_** it for that matter. x_x;**

**Also, do you notice I always have a 'friend' thing going on? Tsk, Videl, Videl, why must you be so complicated and stubborn to realize that there is NO WAY I'm not pairing you up with Gohan? Heh. And you all probably think Videl and her 'contemplating life' moments are boring, but I can't help it! ,xD It's a good way to elongate chapters, delve into her thoughts, and… stuff... wow, that was a lame finish. *nots feeling very bright***

… **I ENJOY IT OKAY?! D'x**

**I hope you liked the G/V treat as a break from the VidelxMarker stuff. ;) As for the 'kidnapping Videl' part… I should probably abandon all attempts of humor huh? ,x'D Oh, and the Son-Puppy-Eyes attack was dedicated to **_**Sportsfan64**_**, who seems to like that power of persuasion a lot xD Hope you didn't gag on minor fluff ,x3**

**Don't know when the next update will be since I'll be very busy this week. Sooo… until next time! :D Wanna review and give me some contructive criticism?**

**G'night!**


	7. The Odds of Negotiating

**A/N: Yeeek! I'm SO sorry for being MIA again for a long time! D'x I swear, I meant to update weeks ago but I kinda lost internet if you catch my drift… *shifty look* I've also been very busy with school and sports but I'll try to make it up when summer starts! (So, so sorry… but I'm seriously busy!) But I'm glad you guys liked the relaxing chapter! ^-^ We needed more Gh/V spotlight! It was puuurty cute, yes? **

**Don't get used to it.  
**

**Anyways, it's always a pleasure to read your reviews at the end of the week! x) I was surprised to see so many new faces pop up too, so WARM WELCOMES EVERYONE! You guys popped up like freaking daisies! *Sniff* It just warms up my heart! x')**

**Sportsfan64: **You finally get to see this chapter! Sorry for the long wait!

**shadow12**: Thanks! Ooh darn, so close to having a psychic friend! xD Videl has her reasons; things will be discovered in future chapters heheh ^-^ Gotta keep your eyes peeled! Reader's intuition is amazing huh?

**Crystale no otaku:** Glad you enjoyed! x) Yeah, I noticed some repetition too but actually hearing it from someone does help me stay conscious of that, so thanks anyways! :)

**SenpaiGabby:** Heh heh, sorry 'bout that! ,xD But by now you probably figured this isn't like most fics! xD (at least, I don't think so) And someone ACTUALLY NOTICED THE POEMS! :D :D Yay yay yay! *Cyber high-fives!* You wanna cookie? I was actually starting to think they were getting corny since no one really said anything about them! ,xD

**Chosen To Die:** Aww, thanks! I'm glad that you like this approach! I wanted to try something different so it's nice to hear that it's going pretty well ^-^ And yeah, I agree! I believe that Videl shouldn't fall for Gohan right off the bat! I mean, love should take time, yes? It feels more natural if it goes at an easy pace x3 Thanks a bunches for reviewing! :D

**Gohandominates:** Oho! So we've got another reader with a sharp eye ;) And no worries, Videl will eventually come around. Just gonna take my sweet time~ uh, okay, not that long! xD Soon, I promise you, soon (as in, five+ chapters, hah…). Thanks for the review~! ^-^

**AbsenseOfTruth:** Thanks for the review! xD I'm happy you think it's realistic! ^-^ That's my goal! Well, as realistic as Dragonball can get ,x3

**Who knows:** Hey, thanks for reviewing! :D Don't worry, I will definitely finish this story! I admit it will take me time to update, but I won't ever give up on this! Thanks for voicing your thoughts on the behalf of others; the feedback is great to know and I really appreciate it! ^-^

**PrincessLazyPants:** WHALECOME! Nice ta meetcha! Thank you very much for reviewing! :D I ADORE that you ADORE this story so far! xD

**Keep It True:** Ha, like I said, I'll keep my eyes peeled! Cookie… I just made a fresh batch! Not sharing! xP Did I mention that my turtwig evolved into a TORTERA? Yeah, like a boss! Alakazam is cool but tortera and I can take you on any day! xP He's my partner of justice to fight off team galactic! Don't underestimate us! WANNA DUEL?! … wait, no. That's Yu-Gi-Oh. What I meant to say was: WANNA BATTLE?! Bring it!

Haha, Gohan is _totally _scary in that moment wasn't he? xD The guy's a big ol' softie! And yes, Videl is confusing. But how DARE you say that in the presence of a lady! Behold! Tremble before the horror of the (mental) Baseball-Bat-of-Doom! Lol jk! I'm not _that _mean! Don't worry child, you are safe :P  
All joking aside, your story has good dialogue. It's entertaining to read, and especially fun to review! ^-^ As for me, I'm the opposite. I prefer getting into detail rather than speaking. Sometimes I think I overdo it though!

**dcp1992: **Thaaank you! :D Yeah, Marker was a total jerk wasn't he? But no worries, they will be history SOON! Of course, Gohan and Videl will definitely get together eventually. ^-^ And YAY, I'm glad you noticed the differences in Videl's relationship with both men! For a second there I thought I had it weird or something! Pheeew! *Breathes out* Thanks for compliments too! In all honesty, I think my writing is decent since I know there are a lot of people out there who could leave me in the dust with their hands tied behind their backs! Anyhow, good luck in college and growing as a writer! :D

**Disclaimer: Moi? Own DBZ? You're **_**hilarious**_**. **

**Claimer: One day it was raining so I used my jacket as a cover. I was walking with my friend and asked her to tell me if there was anything in front of me. Then I ran into a pole. –FML.**

…**.**

**Chapter 7: The Odds of Negotiating**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Every day is a new adventure._

_You just don't know what to expect._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

Monday.

The second day of the week. The morning that all high school students dreaded. They day that marked the bright minds of youth returning to their education. The day that spoke doom for every student's nightmare. The calling of this dreaded day meant the start of endless brainwashing, being hammered mentally with the system they called _school_. To any other teen, this day was the absolute worse of them all; it meant waking up sleep-deprived, the occasional pop quiz, miles of paperwork, and most of all, returning to prison after a weekend of fun.

However, Videl Satan was not a normal teen and was in fact, distressed about something else entirely. Two days ago did her life slowly begin tipping over the scale from imbalance. Two days ago did she fall victim to alcohol and nearly lost her purity. But alas, those days have finally passed and here she was, dreading the forbidden _Monday_. This Monday was the worse of them yet, and not because of school.

No, it was because she was seeing her boyfriend again.

Marker, who she had not seen for the past two days, who had almost raped her.

Videl was in her room, staring intently at her reflection for no reason in particular. Her mirror image, she noticed, looked so much better than it had the other day. Her azure eyes were alight with its usual flame, but currently possessing unfocused features scrunched with anxiety, although she hid it well. Her lips were set into a thin, tight frown as she tugged absently on the ends of her hair, her usual pigtails wavy and unruly as ever.

Every few seconds, Videl would flicker her eyes towards the clock, the room so silent that she could literally hear each click of movement. The arrow maneuvered clockwise each passing second, never missing a beat, always precise and perfectly melodic. Each tick only served to rile her nerves.

_Tick, tick, tick. _

The little time machine snuffed the whole atmosphere, its unwavering movements suffocating her in the sudden claustrophobic room. She brushed stray stands out of her face, perspiration lightly building up on the palms of her hands. She was stalling for as long as she could and prayed that everything that happened that week was just a dream, a dream that she could wake up from. A dream where reality did not happen and everything was left the way it was back when it was a normal Friday.

But even Videl knew that she could not turn back time, or erase the past, for that matter. No, she was going to have to face the music eventually and let's face it: karma's a bitch.

The clock struck seven and the alarm went off, shattering the terse atmosphere. Videl rose to her feet in languor, silencing the alarm with a loud _clonk_. It lay tattered and dented on the floor, but she paid it no mind. The maid would clean it up later.

"Well, guess it's time to go," she muttered irritably under her breath, slinging her bag over her shoulder. This was not a morning she was looking forward to. She sauntered out of her room without even bothering to close the door, but her footsteps seemed to ring eerily behind her.

While she had been getting ready for school, Videl did a lot of thinking. She had plenty of time to think, but even that was starting to run low. The question that plagued her mind for the past few hours were, _'What should I do?'_

The focus of her concerns, of course, was her possibly-ex-boyfriend.

Videl had liked Marker _a lot_ since last year, and not many problems had aroused between them… until now. The few months they went out was rather nice, she supposed. They actually had a rather mild relationship, pleasant in some areas and rearing heads in others. Their drawbacks only began to surface more frequently a few months back, since Gohan had first arrived. But still, she and Marker were still able to hit it off fine, that is, until he started to become more possessive over her. Sure, Marker wasn't the _best_ boyfriend in the world, but he treated her decent enough most of the time. Although he wasn't exactly gentlemanly, he wasn't a _complete_ douche either.

But still, that _did not_ excuse his behavior towards her that week. He had not only been overly sensitive and rude towards her best friend, that she would stress, _have no chemistry towards_, but was also stupid enough to get drunk and nearly _rape _her.

Yes, Videl knew that she was cowardly and also stupid to not get rid of the drinks in the first place, but still, that gave Marker no right to take advantage of her, sober or not. In fact, she was feeling mighty pissed and humiliated that he had almost done so.

In a way, she was definitely _not_ looking forward to confronting him after two days since that incident. She even went as far as to ignoring his explosive calls and texts by chucking her phone out the window. It worked for a while, but eventually she'd have to face him and it wasn't a confrontation she was looking forward to.

In truth, Videl was somewhat scared to see him again. Part of her was still haunted by that night, emotions of betrayal and fear taunting the back of her mind. The way she felt so _powerless,_ so _helpless_ for once made her terrified that she was still insecure. In one day, she had to be saved twice, each in situations where she was absolutely powerless to do anything. Each required the help of another person, which irked Videl; she was so used to being _strong_ that never had she considered that _she _could someday be the one in need.

That thought did not settle well with her.

However, most of her pent up frustration was converted into anger. She was angry that Marker had the audacity to do something like that to her. She trusted him, even! Then the guy had to turn around and slap that in her face. She was also angry at herself for allowing her to be roped into this mess.

Fury was one of many ways to describe Videl as she stormed towards her school. Many students backed away once they caught wind of her sour mood, abruptly making a beeline for the opposite direction if they crossed paths. But Videl paid no mind to them, instead seething to herself as the entire student body diverged a path away from her.

That was probably why she didn't suspect a figure throttling towards her back.

"VIDEL!" screeched Erasa as she tackled the girl from behind. Startled, Videl reflexively jerked back, instinctively getting in position to hurtle her blonde friend over her shoulder.

"Erasa!" Videl yelped with a start, at the last second registering that it was just her friend, thus refraining from attacking the blonde. "Don't scare me like that! I nearly had a heart attack!"

Erasa was currently latched on to Videl's side, a pout splayed across her lips. "Well _sorry_ for being a concerned friend!" she retorted. "Do you have any idea how _worried _I was? You wouldn't return _any _of my calls, and when I went to check your house, you weren't home! Where were you?! I was worried sick!" the blonde continued to rant, eyes shimmering.

Immediately, Videl felt guilty. While pitying herself, she had neglected how her actions would affect those around her. She had completely forgotten about Erasa since the date, and felt bad for having fun with Gohan while Erasa was frantic over her.

"Sorry," Videl said, tone softening and original anger loosening from her face. "I kind of threw my phone out the window." Erasa opened her mouth in obvious disapproval, but Videl hurried on to further not antagonize her. "But I assure you, I'm fine. Honest." She gave her a reassuring glance.

At that, Erasa visibly relaxed, her usual cheerful demeanor returning. "Sweetie, we're going to have to get you a new one," she chastised. "In fact, there's this great new shop that opened down the street and it has absolutely _perfect _steals!" Videl opened her mouth in protest, obviously horrific at the idea of going shopping again with Erasa. The last time they went… it didn't end too well.

"Before you say anything," the blonde interjected, raising her palms to silence her, "we are going and that is _final_. No exceptions." Videl pouted indignantly. Not one to back down without a fight, Videl prepared to justify her case but again, Erasa beat her to it, this time changing the subject.

"Anyways!" Her voice lost some of its usual cheer, lowering slightly as she glanced around for intruding ears. "Are you okay? You know, about the other night?" Erasa murmured in a hushed whisper. Her emerald eyes were lined with concern.

Momentarily forgetting about her debate, Videl nodded curtly, her voice also lowering. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Don't worry about it." No other words we needed to know what they were talking about. They were now almost at the gate to the school. Erasa frowned.

"How can I _not _worry?" she said, glancing around warily. "I mean, after what Marker did to you…" Almost immediately, Videl felt anger and resentment boiling through her again. Her expression hardened into, almost into a grimace.

"I rather not talk about it," she grumbled, face darkening.

"But Videl, this is serious! You can't let him get away with that—"

"And he won't," Videl cut her off. They had now reached the gates. "But I assure you," her eyes narrowed dangerously. "He will have some explaining to do."

Erasa shut up after that, knowing better than to antagonize Videl further, in which she was grateful for. By now they had passed the gates and were making their way across the courtyard, passing by crowds. The morning was still crisp, the sun still rising over the horizon.

"By the way, did Gohan do as I asked?" Erasa inquired, raising a blonde brow.

"If you mean by 'kidnapping' me, then yes, he did," Videl remarked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Erasa winked mischievously.

"And did you have fun?" she continued to press on. Videl hesitated, momentarily flashing back to the kiss and she willed the blush threatening to rise up her face to back down. Slowly, she begrudgingly nodded, causing Erasa to squeal in delight.

"See? I knew that would be the perfect break for you! You gotta start loosening up Vi! All that stress is gonna be _horrible_ for your complexion, which is gorgeous by the way."

"Uh, thanks?" Videl said, eager to change the subject. She was about to say more until her foot snagged on something, sending her plummeting towards the ground. With incredible reflexes, Videl shot her arms out, just in time to catch her fall before she kissed the ground—literally.

"What the hell?!" she hollered, leaping back to her feet. The thing she had tripped over was now revealed to be a leg, one lying completely parallel with the ground. Videl casted her eyes irritably to the right, ready to launch into a furious rant to the guy _sleeping on the ground_.

Actually, he wasn't actually _sleeping,_ but still, it made no difference to Videl. The guy, in fact, was plopped snuggly on the grassy lawn, leaning lazily against a young oak tree. A thick leather book hid his face from view, but has low enough to reveal a unruly mound of dark, gravity-defying hair.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Videl! Are you okay?!" rang the concerned voice of the owner. Son Gohan immediately dropped his book on the ground, the pages unceremoniously splattered on the grass. He reached down to help the petite girl up, a sheepish, apologetic grin adorning his face. "Sorry about that," he said, rubbing his back as he pulled an annoyed Videl up. "I didn't see you there."

"You tripped me you idiot!" Videl sputtered, agitatedly brushing grass off her palms and shirt. The bottom hem of her trademark white T-shirt was now stained with a little yellow from where the grass was crushed on, as well some smears of dirt. Videl mentally groaned. Great. Now she had to parade around the school with grass hanging off her ass.

Gohan attempted to dust off the remaining she missed, but it only served to annoy Videl more. She shrugged him off as he continued to apologize every few seconds. "Sorry Videl, I didn't mean to get your shirt dirty! I didn't see you walk past or else I would've sat somewhere else, but—" he continued to ramble, but Videl cut him off, growing tired of his talking.

"Gohan," she said, deciding with restraint to shrug it off. "Just stop." The boy shut up, worry still in his eyes. "Could you _at least_ have sat somewhere else that _wasn't _in front of the gate?" she quipped, controlling herself so that she was somewhat miffed. Gohan frowned, scratching his back sheepishly but unfazed by her snarky remark.

"Sorry," he said, "but the book I was reading was so engrossing you see, so I just _had_ to—"

"Nevermind," Videl interrupted again. "On second thought, I don't want to hear about how 'engrossing' your book was." Gohan picked up his abandoned object from the ground, brushing off the dirt it had fallen into.

"Are you sure?" Gohan inquired, grimacing at its now dirty state. "Because I can certainly tell you more about its fascinating properties, especially if you want to know more about the laws of physics."

"Yes Gohan, I'm _very_ sure," she said, restraining her face from morphing into horror. Leave it to Gohan to find a physics book 'fascinating.' Sometimes, he took his intelligence to a whole new level, something Videl wasn't very keen to take part of. He looked ready to argue more, but closed his mouth, thinking the better of it.

"Weeeell then," Erasa drawled, studying her manicured fingernails. "I'll be going to the ladies' room now before class starts. See ya later kids, and have fun!" she chirped with a wink before sauntering off inside the four-story building. Both teens waved her goodbye, before deciding to slowly make their way into the school as well, their conversation much more civilized.

"So, how are you doing?" Gohan asked as they strode through the halls, dodging and weaving their way through the growing crowd. They split slightly in respect, some sending acknowledging looks towards Videl. She shrugged.

"Just peachy," she grumbled. Her eyes flicked anxiously ahead. It was almost time.

Gohan patted her head, tousling the raven locks. "You know, if you want to talk, I'm willing to listen," he offered, eyes staring caringly into hers. His dark eyes seemed even more passionate than before, and it made Videl's nerves ease, comforting her.

"It's okay," she replied, trying to send him a reassuring smile. "You've already done enough. I can take it from here." There was no questioning on what they were talking about. Still, Gohan looked at her concerned, placing his hand gently atop Videl's shoulder. If any other boy did that, she would shove them off, but with Gohan, it was fine. It was one of his ways of showing that he cared.

"Are you sure?" he persisted. "I know this matter isn't going to be easy to deal with—"

"Gohan, I told you, I can handle this," Videl insisted, but she appreciated his support. "You don't have to worry so much. I'm strong and something like this won't be hard to deal with."

Gohan bit his lip before nodding slowly. "If you insist," he said. "But I'll be near to help okay?" His hand fell to his sides as they continued to walk. Videl shook her head.

"It's fine. You don't have to go to the trouble," she said. They turned a sharp corner, dodging the ever-growing mass of students.

"I'm not," Gohan said, grinning kindly. "I just want to."

Videl was about to say more and demand that he go to class, but his expression changed so suddenly that she found her voice lost in her throat. His face hardened, utter seriousness overtaking his features and his jaw was clamped shut. Those deep, onyx eyes narrowed in focus, staring straight ahead and it took her a while to realize he wasn't looking at her anymore.

"Get ready," Gohan gruffly whispered, and Videl felt a shiver run down her spine. "He's approaching."

She whipped her head to look in the direction he was looking at and sure enough, she saw him. A mound of dark brown hair bobbed in the sea of students as he approached, his muscular figure broadening as he roamed closer. He seemed to weave straight through the crowd with ease, but his posture visibly tensed as their proximity lessened. Those familiar, caramel eyes were locked on hers, impassive and darkening into a deeper shade. Eyes that she had last seen filled with cold and lust.

Videl felt her voice hitch in her throat. She had thought she had come prepared for this. She thought she was strong enough to stand up to virtually anything. She thought her heart could handle the beating Marker put her through.

But what she wasn't prepared for were the memories. The moment Marker came into full view in his almost-six foot glory, memories of that night came washing over her. His arm seizing her, pinning her against the cold, rough pavement. The stale, musky scent of alcohol lingering in his breath as he loomed over her, his grip harder than steel cuffs. The twisted lust harboring in his eyes, devoid of warmth and the betrayal and disgust she felt when his lips smothered roughly over her own.

And the way he whispered the sound of her name, the slur twisted and wrong the way it rolled off his tongue. _"Videl…"_

Her heart began to quicken rapidly, giving uneven jerks in her chest and she was aware of her breathing starting to gasp in shortened, shallow breaths. Involuntarily, Videl shivered, unconsciously leaning back until she almost felt the warmth radiating off of Gohan's skin. She took comfort in his presence beside her, knowing that he would stay by her side.

Videl sucked in a breath, balling her fists and jerked her chin up, refusing to be intimidated by the man walking towards her. She was _strong_, and she could very well stand her own ground against Marker. She didn't need anyone to help defend her; she could do it herself. Despite this, she could feel her heartbeat quickening, whether from excitement or anger, she didn't know. All she knew was that breathing came a lot harder as he came closer.

Videl allowed her face to harden, remaining impassive as her azure eyes froze steel and she labored her breathing. She crossed her arms as Marker finally edged in front of her, just a yard away. From the side, she could feel Gohan unconsciously scoot a little closer to her as the mood shifted to arctic temperatures.

Her icy eyes made contact with half-lidded brown ones, now dull and unsettled as they flicked anywhere but on _her. _They didn't say anything for a while, just staring each other down. She could feel a spark of anger and resentment building up inside of her in regard for the way he treated her. She used that anger as fuel, directing it into her eyes. Videl didn't flinch as she held Marker's gaze, her eyes focused so vehemently on his until he shifted away uneasily.

"… Videl…" he finally said, voice hesitant and cracking slightly. From beside her, she could feel Gohan tense up but he made no other move to intercept, merely observing with his lips set into a thin line. Marker's eyes flickered momentarily in Gohan's direction but he made no move to leave, and she was fine with that. No one uttered a word, and Videl just continued to stare, challenging him—_daring _him—to go on. Marker visibly gulped before continuing.

"I—about the other day…" his voice faltered, leaving his sentence hanging. Videl took that chance to intercept him, cutting him off.

"What about that day, _Marker_?" she snapped, boring her eyes into his. He flinched, not expecting her harsh reply. Her tone was sharp and piercing, raised in those common occurrences when Videl was extremely _livid._

"I just wanted to apologize—" Marker started but was cut off before he could finish.

"Apologize for _what?_ There is no excuse for what you did to me," Videl spat, taking one threatening step forward as he took a step back. "You're lucky that I didn't report you!"

"Just hear me out Vi!" Marker pleaded, throwing his hands up in aggravation. A few students passing in the hallway shot curious glances in their direction, before scurrying away when they were met with Videl's atrocious glare. "Please, let me explain—"

"Forget it!" Videl snapped, turning around. Although she didn't want to say it, it still hurt as she forced out the next words. She had come to a decision, and that was final. "There is nothing to explain. We're over." She said that sentence softly and bitterly before turning her heel to walk away for good. She wasn't sure on how to feel anymore, but she wasn't sticking around to find out. Videl had liked Marker for a long time, but after what he did to her that night… she wasn't sure anymore. She didn't know if the boy she fell for was still the same one.

Marker reached out to grab her wrist but Gohan, who remained standing there, shot his hand out and intercepted it before he could touch her.

"She doesn't want you here," Gohan stated coolly, dangerously calm with a cold edge to his voice. He held his hardened onyx gaze into Marker's, looming at his full height inches above the quarreling couple. Never was his tone so intimidating. "It's best that you leave."

Marker bristled, fury smoldering in his caramel depths. "You're not part of this conversation, Nerd-Boy!" he snarled, yanking his fist free from Gohan's grip before drawing it back and curling it into a ball. Gohan made no move to intercept his actions but Videl, recognizing this as the universal stance for a punch, intervened between the two males before an ugly brawl could break out.

"Stop it," she said, stepping between the two. It took some time for Marker's hand to surrender, but eventually, it reluctantly fell to his sides but both did not break their gazes from each other, bodies rigid and tense. Marker glared heatedly at Gohan, who stared calmly back with not a flicker of emotion residing on his face. His features seemed to harden; he looked far older than the Gohan she was used to with his youthful smile now absent.

"Stop," Videl repeated, her voice sharp with authority and this time firmly pushing the two back away from each other. Gohan complied, but never took his gaze off Marker, who was still locked in his position to attack. Both men emitted an air of thunderous tension, glares quarreling with vicious intensity. Videl felt a surge of panic shoot through her. Marker wasn't a weak guy. Being a star athlete, there was no way someone like Gohan could stand a chance against Marker.

Worrying for her friend's safety, Videl turned to Gohan, meeting his gaze. "It's okay Gohan, I can handle this," she said coolly, showing no weakness or inching back.

In a way, she was a little touched that Gohan was courageous enough to stand up for her when she knew full well his fighting capability was still questionable. She knew he had brains and wit, but she wasn't going to risk her friend getting hurt. Besides, this was Videl's fight and she had to do it alone. She was completely capable of defending herself.

"Videl, be reasonable," Gohan said, turning his head so that he was at eye level with her. Concern was reflected in his eyes; she could see his reluctance to leave her alone with Marker.

"I am reasonable," Videl said stubbornly, with some annoyance in her voice. "I am perfectly capable of handling this myself."

The two locked gazes for a second, onyx meeting sapphire. Videl, although small, looked determined and there was a fire in her eyes that often sparked whenever she was challenging something. She could see the rash stubbornness she inherited from her mother reflecting in Gohan's dark orbs, holding herself like the fighter she was. She was a woman of pride; she was bold and brash and Videl Satan never turned down a challenge, rather meeting it directly instead of running away. It was who she was, and that was never going to change. It was in her nature to be adamant.

Gohan's eyes were impassive, lacking the cheerfulness it usually possessed. Currently, his gaze was focused, so concentrated that Videl found it quite unnerving and found it increasingly difficult to hold his steady gaze. Who knew that Gohan could have such a serious look…? For a brief moment, she even found it quite alluring, but as soon as that thought came, it demolished in a flash. Now was not the time for such thoughts. They continued to stare at each other for long, tense seconds, each holding their gazes without falter.

"Trust me," Videl murmured in an authoritive hushed tone, but her heartbeat began softly speeding up, upbeat and aware of its strong pulse.

As the heavy silence progressed, something flickered in the depths of Gohan's eyes and as if an unspoken agreement passed between them, Gohan finally deflated, allowing his muscles to relax and a heavy sigh to escape his lips. He dropped his gaze, arms resting against his sides.

"Fine," he said, running his hand through his thick, unruly hair. His eyes softened as they fell on her, his usual, more cheery self slowly returning. "I trust that you know what you're doing."

Videl huffed and her chest swelled with pride. "Like hell I do," she retorted with a smirk. "Now get to class. Mr. Baloney will give you a detention if you're late again," she joked, motioning him on his way.

A wry smile hinted at his lips. "I guess you're right," he said sheepishly before reluctantly walking away. However, as he brushed past Marker, Gohan whispered so lowly under his breath that even Videl could scarcely hear.

"If you _dare_ try anything funny…" he whispered, voice low and eyes calculating. She felt a shiver run down her spine at the deepness of his voice; it was gruff and dare she admit it, quite sexy. He let the sentence drop as he continued on his way, but the threat hung clear.

If anybody messes with his friends… someone would have to pay.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

"You've got ten minutes to redeem yourself. I've wasted enough time as it is, so make it quick," Videl stated coldly, leaving no room for argument in her voice. She glared pointedly at the boy in front of her, who had a sullen look on his face.

Marker nodded curtly before turning around and gesturing for Videl to follow him. She fell into step behind him, but the ever-growing distance between them feeling hollow… it was like a rift separated them, unable to get across and unsure whether to or not.

By now, the hallways had dispersed and held a haunting silence to them, the dim, fluorescent lights flickering somewhat. Part of her wanted to ditch Marker all together, but she had just tried that and apparently, it wasn't a very effective method. The best option was to settle this now, and not leave anything left unsaid.

The tension between them only served to spoil the already-dark mood, but Videl made sure that Marker was always in her line of sight, silently observing his every move in case he tried anything funny. She kept her expression unreadable and indifferent, putting up a mask to guard herself. She was gritting her teeth in anger and nerves, her nails almost breaking the surface of the skin on her palms.

Why was she so nervous? This was Marker, whom she had defeated in multiple spars. But despite being the better fighter, it still unnerved her that he had been so easily able to dispatch her in her weakest state, that he had full control over her. She didn't like the power he had possessed, when they were intoxicated and she was acting stupid. She hated how his movements were still suave and swift despite having a –guilty?—look in his eyes but still managed to look good, with his muscles rippling beneath his shirt. She hated his brown hair that swayed as he walked, or the masculine angles of his face when he glanced behind to make sure she was still there.

But most of all, she hated that she still had some lingering form of attraction towards him. Exhilarating, even. But staring at those bulky muscles only served as a reminder of what he was capable of, and the way he cornered her that night, with his large body pinning her down, suffocating her…

Videl clenched her teeth, her brows furrowing as she blocked such unpleasant images from her mind. This was the man who took advantage of her, and she couldn't allow any room of vulnerability or sympathy to be projected towards him. She had to stay on full alert; she couldn't afford to let her old attraction sympathize him anymore. It was for her own good.

After climbing up a flight of stairs, they finally reached their destination: the roof. The sky was gloomy, dark patches of clouds blocking the light of the sun. Streaks of it escaped through cracks, but were soon swallowed up by the skies again. A small draft passed through her hair, tangling it into knots, and Videl shivered as the draft passed.

"You okay?"

Marker's voice broke the deafening silence but Videl glared in return, crossing her arms with a huff. She squared her shoulders before speaking confidently.

"Hurry up," she quipped sharply, ignoring his question and jerking her chin up so that they were in line with Marker's. "You're wasting my time. I don't have all day you know." They stood meters away from each other, the distance separating what miles couldn't.

"Look," Marker said, staring at her straight in the eye, "I know I screwed up and I just wanted to apologize."

Videl rolled her eyes. "You already said that," she stated with a get-on-with-it tone.

"Yes, but please hear me out," Marker said hastily, averting his gaze and studying the ground. Videl waited for him to continue. "The other night…" he swallowed. "I'm sorry for what I did. I know what I did was uncalled for—"

"Damn right it was," Videl remarked but Marker continued as if she didn't interrupt him.

"—but please Videl," his eyes found hers again, this time holding an emotion Videl couldn't comprehend. "_Please_, understand that I wasn't myself that day. I was drunk and acting stupid."

"Obviously," she retorted blandly, huffing.

"You're making this harder than it is, Videl," Marker grumbled under his breath, raking his hands agitatedly through his hair.

Videl suppressed the urge to slap him. "_You're _the one who made this hard on yourself, Marker," she hissed, voice lashing with venom. "_You_ brought this onto yourself, the moment you drank that alcohol."

He flinched. "Whoa, whoa, look," Marker said, raising his arms in defense. "I'm not completely to blame here you know! _Angela_ gave me those drinks, so it's not entirely _my_ fault! I was under the influence!"

"Oh, so put the blame on the tomato and alcohol why don't you? Just man up and admit that it was _your_ choice and that you're the one at fault here! Don't even _try _finding a scapegoat Marker Notepad!" Videl scowled, jabbing a threatening finger at his face.

"It wasn't like you didn't drink either!" Marker argued back, annoyance blazing in his brown eyes, exchanging clashing glares with equal intensity.

Videl's nostrils flared. "Are you implying that the blame is on me?" she snapped, getting up into his face. They were almost nose-to-nose.

"No! I didn't mean it that way!" he exclaimed defensively. "All I'm saying is that shouldn't you understand the position I'm in, since you were also in similar shoes? You were also not really there, so shouldn't it be _you,_ of all people, to understand where I'm coming from?"

Videl bit her lip. He got her there. Yes, they were both under the influence and didn't have complete control over their actions. So Marker _did_ have a legitimate point there; he mainly acted the way he did because he wasn't in full control, and neither was she. As much as Videl hated to admit it… Marker had a point.

"… Fine," she said begrudgingly. "Carry on."

A faint smile found itself around Marker's lips, though it was dry and held no humor. "All I'm asking is for you to give me another chance."

Videl's brows shot up and immediately a scowl manifested on her face. "Hell no!" she yelled. She had thrown her hands up and restrained the impulse not to deck Marker then and there. Oh, how she wanted to. The said boy backed up, realizing his mistake and was left at the mercy of Videl's pent-up rage, waiting dormant to explode.

"Do you really _think _that after what you did that night that suddenly saying _sorry_ would just get you off the hook?" she yelled, anger boiling on her face. She advanced rapidly towards Marker, her scowl deepening and her expression terrifying as he retreated a few steps back. "Well think again because it would take a _lot_ more than _that_ to convince me whether you're sincere or not!"

Marker was now backed up so that he was inches away from hitting the brick wall. "Whoa, hold it Vi!" he cried, holding his arms up in defense. "Babe, I probably said that wrong—" Videl's face contorted menacingly. Marker hurried on. "—but I promise you that what I did was a mistake and that I really _am _sorry for what I did!"

"You didn't seem to regret _anything_ when you tried pulling my shirt off!" Videl growled, sapphire eyes aflame and absolutely _livid_. Marker flinched before roughly thrusting his arms in the air.

"I told you, I wasn't thinking straight!" he argued back, on the verge of hollering. "I already said that it was because of the alcohol that _Angela gave me_."

Ah, she had nearly forgotten about the tomato. Videl narrowed her eyes, mentally plotting to have a little 'chat' with her soon… once she was done dealing with her bastard of a boyfriend.

"So what you're saying is that because of alcohol, you became a dick-oriented ass?" Videl quipped smartly.

Marker grimaced. "Well, in harsh terms… yeah," he gruffed, casting his gaze downwards and swallowing his abundant supply of pride. Then he took a deep breath. "Babe, all I'm asking is to give me another chance. Can you forgive me?"

For a minute, Videl just stood there, debating whether to snap back or not, her calculating gaze never straying from Marker. She couldn't tell whether he was genuine or not, or just fooling her. His face was somewhat impassive, a guarded look concealing his eyes and his bangs fell forward, hiding the top half of his eyes from view. As she scrutinized him, she couldn't tell if he was truly sorry anymore, which troubled her, because Videl was usually good at analyzing people.

But then again, he _did _have a point. Anyone under the influence of alcohol was never completely in their right mind, even if doing inexcusable acts. Marker wasn't _completely_ there; for all she knew, he might have been dreaming of rainbows and unicorns while he was drunk while having indecent motives.

And staring into those caramel eyes that she had once loved so much… she wasn't sure anymore. Maybe it was the succinct moment to allow herself to think rationally for once. Maybe it was how unusually pitiful he looked that slowly made her mind circulate her decision. Maybe it was how valid his point seemed, although she begrudgingly acknowledged. Maybe it was that insufferable remnant of attraction she still had for him was what compelled her to change her mind…

Something in her chest was stirring, a feeling running down her spine. It was the old feeling she used to have around him, when everything was normal between them. Just for a second, Videl couldn't help but feel that little something, a longing for a taste she missed, something she hadn't felt for years. Despite her conscience yelling at her not to say it, she still felt her mouth about to speak against her will.

She let out a frustrated sigh, raking her fingers indecisively through her bangs. What she was about to say was undoubtedly one of the worst decisions of her life, and one she was probably going to regret _dearly_ later on. Damn it. Damn it all…

"Fine," she finally relented with a huff. "I'll forgive you."

Marker's face instantly brightened, but before he could break off into a full-on grin, Videl cut him off in his glory.

"_But,_" she snapped, beckoning Marker's jaw closed and face to fall. "Only one month," she said with a pointed glare. She held up one finger to emphasize her point. "You have only _one month_ to prove to me that you're sincere, that your actions are forgivable. Only _one month_ to change my mind on staying with you."

"However, if you make _one single mistake_," Videl's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with bitterness. Marker remained attentive, his jaw clamped shut stiffly. "If you give me one reason to make me reconsider my choice, to regret _anything_, then it's over. Is that clear?" she barked, leaving no room for argument.

Marker nodded vigorously but stumbled back when Videl suddenly struck out at lightning speed. In a blur, before he could process anything, he felt the bones of her knuckles connecting with the side of his jaw, giving a painful _cracking_ sound. Marker toppled backwards in shock, his eyes widening, obviously not expecting the punch. Videl took a satisfied step back, marveling at her work and dropping her offensive hand.

"Ouch! What was _that _for?!" Marker groaned, rubbing his jaw. A purplish bruise was starting to form, but held no evidence of anything broken. He stared up at Videl, still not fully recovered from her strike.

"_That_," she said smugly, "was for being an ass. If it was any other guy, he would be incapable of making babies by now. Consider yourself lucky." Marker lie there shocked for a moment longer before gingerly picking himself off the pavement.

"I should have known," he muttered wryly. He then grinned, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her into a hug. She stiffened but forced herself not to shake him off, nestled into his broad chest.

"Thanks, babe!" he whooped, planting a kiss on her cheek. "You won't regret a thing. I definitely won't screw this up, I promise!"

Videl sighed, shaking her head. She firmly nudged him off of her, walking back towards the door and down the stairs. "Don't get ahead of yourself, hotshot. Let's see if you can live up to your words. Now hurry up and let's get to class. I am _not_ risking another detention."

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

"Videl, what were you thinking?!" Erasa yelled in a hushed, furious voice. The two girls were currently in the bathroom that luckily, was empty. It was their lunch break and both females had ventured elsewhere for interrogation, especially once Erasa caught sight of Videl walking back into class with a glowing Marker in tow.

"Trust me 'Rase, I know what I'm doing," Videl retorted back, restraining her voice from speaking loudly. They didn't want to catch attention or spread possible rumors.

"Yeah, but what's the idea? Why would you give him another chance after what he did to you?!" the blonde whisper-yelled, invading Videl's personal space. Her emerald eyes were uncharacteristically disapproving, especially if the topic was about boys. Videl sighed.

"Erasa, _please,_" she said, "I've liked him for a long time. What if I regret saying no and living my life miserably and alone? What then?"

"There are other _better_ men than him you know," Erasa stated, reapplying her lipgloss as she puckered her face in the mirror. Still, her emerald eyes never left her though.

"I know, but I want to see if he's the guy for me. You _know_ I'm searching for someone who wants me for _me,_ not the label I've been slapped on. I want to see if he can see past that and actually find the girl behind that. And plus, we have history. I don't want to ruin things because of one mistake." Videl's eyes stared distantly ahead, nostalgically flashing back to when they first met.

_It was a chilly winter morning with dark, angry plumes of storm clouds polluting the sky. Curtains of rain beated relentlessly down on her, drenching her clothes. The dinky fabric clung to her skin while her hair lay plastered across her face, streaming at the tips. Videl shivered, distributing uneven puffs of breaths into the fog. She ran, spraying droplets splattering in all directions as she fought against nature, clutching her jacket in search for warmth. Each puddle she stepped in sent mud splashing up her knees, her shoes soaked to the last tip._

_She slid under the street light, slipping on the slick mud beneath her feet. Videl stumbled forwards, barely able to regain balance on time. Exhaling out a relieved breath, she wiped her eyes, watching as water dripped down the tip of her nose before disappearing with a twinkle in an abyss of dark, murky water._

_Videl shivered, curling her tattered fabric closer around her, savoring the warmth is scarcely held. Oh, what she would give to be at home under a blanket by the fireplace right now…_

_There was a light woosh from her side, of something opening up. The pouring rain stopped its drizzling and Videl looked up, eyes glassy and confused. She could still hear the heavy pattering of rain around her. She blinked away the wetness around her eyes, now registering an umbrella held before her, along with a charming face peering from underneath._

"_You know, no lady should be left alone in the pouring rain, no matter who she is…"_

Erasa's voice brought her back to reality. "Yeah," the blonde was saying, "but what if getting _back_ together was a mistake? That won't get you anywhere. You'll only get hurt in the long run."

"Plus," the blonde continued, reapplying mascara to her full lashes, "I'm not sure if it's the right choice to get involved with him again, Vi. I mean, he doesn't exactly have a peachy past you know…"

"_He might not be who you think he is."_

Videl looked up with a start, Gohan's past words ringing in her ears. "What do you mean?" she asked, starting to feel a slight churning in her stomach. She grabbed onto Erasa's shoulders oh-so-gently. "What about his past, Erasa?!" She needed to know more.

"Watch it!" Erasa shrieked, narrowly missing gauging out an eye. Videl stepped back sheepishly, allowing her friend to recollect herself. Composed, she began to speak again, turning back to the mirror.

"As I was saying," she said, "Marker doesn't have a great past. And I would know, since I _am_ always in-the-know." It was true. If it was up to her, Erasa was always in the loop about whatever happened around Orange Star High, which obviously included its people. Videl nodded, urging her to continue.

"Marker… well, he's known to be a player," Erasa stated a-matter-of-factly. Well, that helps a_ lot_. Videl already knew that, before she even met him.

"And?" Videl pressed on, impatience starting to pry at her.

"And," the blonde patiently continued, "he's also quite famous for his… deceptiveness. It all lies in his charms." She tapped her noggin and Videl's mouth turned dry.

"Care to elaborate?" she said, exhibiting a demeanor of calm. In truth, perspiration was lightly building on the insides of her palms.

"He's obviously a charmer and has a way with the ladies," Erasa informed, voice hushing. She leaned closer so that Videl could hear easier. Her emerald eyes were sparkling, the way it did whenever she had the juiciest gossip. "And he's popular, athletic, and _extremely _attractive, so naturally, he has what every girl desires."

"But here's the thing," she continued, eyes flicking around the bathroom, although it was hollow and empty. "No one really knows _how much_ girls he dated or had a fling with. All we know is the rumors that circulate around him—even _I_ don't know everything there is about him. He's very mysterious and careful about his relationships leaking. There are few girls who actually come out to talk about their experiences, but they all get shunned and brushed under the rug. All I can say Videl, is to be careful. You're my best friend, and I don't want you to get hurt over _any_ guy, even if he's a total cutie." Erasa's eyes were earnest and filled with sincere care, something only a true friend could show.

"Wait, so if you knew all of that already, why didn't you stop me _before _we started dating?!" Videl sputtered, mentally tripping over herself.

"I _did_ tell you," Erasa defended, "but you were too out of it to listen."

Videl raked her mind for any memory of such vital information. She briefly recalled a day well into the night when she called her friend, notifying her of the news of her boyfriend. It was so late that she couldn't remember much of their conversation, but now that she thought about it, what Erasa said _did_ sound vaguely familiar…

"Oh."

Erasa ignored her bland answer, instead regaining some of her bubbly demeanor, grinning mischievously.

"But you also looked _so_ happy, Vi!" she giggled. "It was the first guy you were actually interested in! You finally snagged yourself a guy! Do you know how long I waited to finally see you get a boyfriend? I was thinking you'd live your life as a prude!"

"Hey!" Videl protested, defending her pride. "It wasn't _that_ bad," she complained.

"Oh, it totally was," Erasa insisted back, earning a playful smack from Videl. The light atmosphere disappeared though, when she started to form a frown.

"Great," Videl groaned, "If I knew this sooner, I would've broken up with him!"

"Why not?" Erasa inquired, touching up the last bits of her makeup. "It's not like he's forcing you to stay with him. Besides, I think it would be best for everyone if you just dropped him already." Videl's expression must've have been offensive because the blonde hurried on. "Just my honest opinion!" she defended. "But seriously, I think you should just break up with the guy. He's causing you more trouble than it's worth."

"Yeah, but you know me 'Rase," she replied. "I always keep my end of the bargain."

"True," Erasa pouted in disapproval. "You really dug yourself in a hole this time, huh?"

"Thanks for the support," Videl replied sarcastically. "But seriously, what should I do? Help me out here! You know a lot about relationships right?" The brunette stared expectantly at her blonde friend. If it was one person she could count on for advice like this, she would go to Erasa in a heartbeat. She was the expert on relationships, a field Videl regrettably was lacking in.

Erasa pondered this for a second before speaking. "Well, I already gave you my opinion, but do whatever you think is best Vi. In my honest opinion, any man daring enough to force himself against you should have his ass dumped in a pitfall. But if you still want to keep your word, I won't stop you. Like, I totally got your back you know? Unless you want me to do something about it…?"

Her tone was suggestive, and staring into Erasa's gleaming eyes, Videl could see that she intended to do more than a little "something" to Marker. In ways, Erasa was typically ditzy but could be quite… sly if she wanted to, especially if it was getting back at someone. After all, she wasn't a gossip queen for nothing!

Videl sweat dropped, pushing the door open for them to exit. "Uh, I think I can take it from here 'Rase." At the fall of her face, Videl hastily said "Thanks, but I'll keep your offer in mind."

Erasa sighed with a shake of her head. "If that's what you think is best, then I won't stop you." Erasa looked at her in the eye, her green emeralds holding care within them. "But I just want to make sure that he doesn't hurt you more than he already has, you know?" She ground her fists together in attempt to look intimidating, but it only looked comical, coming from a usually pacifist Erasa.

Videl flashed her an uncertain, reassuring smile. "Don't worry 'Rase," she said, "I know what I'm doing."

But the question was… did she really?

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

Golden sunlight streamed through the windows, filtering through the ivory curtains of the library. It sent rays against the mahogany desks, sending a reddish glow to dance off the sleek wood. In front of her, Gohan lazily thumbed through the pages of his textbook, the paper faintly glinting in the comforting light with each turn.

Videl chewed on her pencil, her brows furrowing in concentration as she scowled at the captions in front of her. Usually, she didn't have much trouble getting straight to work, but what bothered her wasn't the difficulty of the assignment, but rather, _who_ she was sitting with.

It was so _awkward_. When she had walked into first period that day, her hands encased in Marker's, the first person she caught sight of was Gohan. When their eyes met, Gohan was beaming his usual brilliant smile, but as soon as that gaze shifted behind her, that smile dropped off the face of the earth. At first, he had looked—disappointed?—before sinking into a guarded, impassive expression, staring distantly off into space.

He refused to make eye contact with her for the rest of the day.

The only reason why they were in the same room was their history assignment they had left off of last week, before all that drama happened. They had seldom said a word to each other, besides Videl uneasily suggesting they meet up after school to resume their previous work in the library.

The only response she got was a lousy, "'Kay. I'll see you then." Nothing else.

Videl glanced up from her paperwork, staring intensely at Gohan. His onyx eyes were lowered on the page, the curve of his jaw clenched as he furiously scrawled something down on his paper. Stray strands of hair fell across his face, obscuring part of his forehead from view. If he noticed her staring, he didn't show it, instead scribbling away as if she wasn't in front of him.

Finally, unable to keep her emotions bottled up anymore, Videl finally snapped.

"Gohan, what is your problem?!" she growled, crumbling the paper in her hand as she slammed out of her seat. A majority of loitering students sent her hushing noises and looks of annoyance, but she ignored them. Gohan, on the other hand, appeared startled and abruptly ended his writing to glance up at her.

"What do you mean?" he inquired dubiously, sitting straight in his chair. Videl twitched.

"Oh, stop with the act!" she snapped. "I'm talking about ignoring me! Not even bothering to greet me! What did I do to make you be so… ugh!" If it was one thing Videl hated the most, it was being ignored. Call her vain and contradicting, but she loathed it when people didn't bother listening to her.

Gohan corked a brow. "Videl, I'm not ignoring you," he assuaged, but his attempts proved fruitless as she continued to seethe. "I've just been thinking, that's all."

"'Just thinking' my butt," she retorted with a huff, plopping back down into her chair. "You were still ignoring me."

Gohan sighed, placing his pencil down and leaning back into his seat. "Look Videl, it's not that I'm mad at you or anything." She looked at him, unconvinced. "But really, I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Videl inquired. Then her brows furrowed as she stared intensely at Gohan, her expression darkening. "This isn't about Marker is it? I told you already Gohan, I know what I'm doing!"

"Marker? Why would you think that?" Gohan asked, quirking a brow and pushing his books out in front of him. Videl rolled her eyes.

"I said stop with the crap," she said. "I know that you're bothered about us getting back together, but it was all my choice. And I plan to stick with it." She said it firmly, her gaze set straight stubbornly, determined to stand her ground.

In turn, Gohan grinned a wry, humorless smile, drastically different from his warm ones. "Perceptive as usual, I see," he remarked, deciding not to deny that fact. Videl sighed, slumping grouchily in her chair.

"Look, I know you're concerned for me but I like Marker. Despite everything that happened, I still have fun with him." She decided not to think about her earlier revelations with Erasa. Gohan didn't need to know that.

A long, awkward silence ensued, both teens debating their thoughts on the conversation. Videl studied Gohan from the side, taking in his impassive demeanor that was appearing more frequently. His jaw was set firmly, an expression border lining the look of anguish and depression. The glimmer in his eyes that she was accustomed to was now gone, the obsidian depths of his orbs impossibly darker than they ever were, housing rivaling emotions as he sat rigidly in his seat. He seemed to be in a mental debate with himself, and Videl sat there, transfixed at her friend's behavior, allured by the sudden air of maturity he emitted. She drank in his features, taking in how different he appeared with each passing day.

Videl blinked and just like that, they vanished. His usual behavior was easing back into him, his onyx eyes softening and retaining its initial familiar warmth. Videl took note of his muscles relaxing, the tightening of his face returning to its youthful glow, as if mere seconds ago it didn't seem to age slightly older. Had she just imagined things…?

Gohan had finally let out a heavy sigh, the last remnants of stress melting from his face. "I'm sorry," he said simply, earnestly looking at her in the eye. "I shouldn't have ignored you Videl. There was no reason for me to be acting that way towards you, and I'm sorry for that."

He then smiled comfortingly, becoming the caring boy she was familiar with. "It's just that I'm concerned for you, that's all. I'm worried that Marker isn't the right guy for you, after the things he did. In fact, I'm surprised you even forgave him so easily," he chuckled good-naturedly, and Videl couldn't help but return the smile, smacking him playfully.

"Are you trying to imply something?" she accused, but her tone was light and mocking. Gohan shook his head and laughed, the air between them finally diluting. For the past few days, their friendship was becoming strained do to all those incidences, but now, it felt like everything was fitting back into where it should have been.

"No," he said, still grinning. "You're a great person Videl, and I just want to see you happy and ensure that you won't get hurt. But I strongly go against you still being involved with him."

That was real sweet of him to think of her well being like that, and that made Videl's heart warm up. But still, she had her pride. "Thanks Gohan, but like I always say, I can take care of myself, and I'm _not_ changing my mind," she stressed, repeating the message she had frequently informed him about.

"I know you're able to, but as your friend, I just want to see your utmost happiness," Gohan replied, sincerity reflecting in his obsidian eyes. For some reason, Videl could feel herself getting lost into them, their mysterious shade, as she always did whenever she gazed at him. Eyes were the window to the soul, as they say, and as Videl thought of that, she couldn't help but agree more. Whenever she looked into Gohan's alluring eyes, it always revealed the person behind them, the person she had grown to love and trust. He was the kind of friend that always had her back, no matter what mistakes she made. She knew he held her of special regard and did honestly wish for the best for her and for that, Videl was grateful. No one could ask for a better friend than Gohan.

"Thank you, Gohan, for caring," Videl replied warmly, her lips spreading into a rare, genuine smile. It served to soften her features, emphasizing the natural beauty she held, and for once, she felt warmth spread through her heart. She felt like she could reach out to this person and give him her utmost trust, and he her's.

"Always," Gohan beamed back, affectionately tussling her hair. For the rest of the day, the two of them stayed there like that, in the library, catching up on their history project all while at the same time reflecting on lost times. They laughed, joked, and to any person passing by, they would look like a young couple that shared something special, something left unsaid. A little something, a connection, reserved only for two people, and only them alone.

And as Videl gazed into Gohan's laughing face, she couldn't help but feel…

… that something was different.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_At the time_

_I didn't know it _

_But something changed_

_On that day._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: *Gasps out of breath* 10,000 freaking words. 30 pages. I hope you enjoyed. Do you think I write the chapters too long, or is it fine the way it is? 0.o; **

**Second, I know what you're thinking: WHAT THE FLUP WHY IS SHE STILL WITH THAT JERKKK?! Whale, remember that Videl had liked Marker for a long time and has a reason to give him one last chance. Besides, I want her to be imperfect. You also got a little glimpse of their past too! But hey, you got to see Videl yell at Marker a lot right? **_**And**_** she hit him! ;P **

**Sorry about the lack of Gh/V progress in here; I know things are moving slowly and that you wanna see this story pick up on the looove but we gotta keep fighting through this a little longer! Bear with me! Plus, this is a drama. What's the point of drama if it's not dramatic? xD Gosh, my logic functions so weirdly! It sounded much better in my mind. But my more torturous ways are funner, no? ;P I thought so! **_**Heh heh heh…**_**ah, the joys of being a writer.**

**Another thing: I didn't make anyone **_**too**_** OOC did I? Some feedback would be nice so I can try working on that in the future :)**

****

Now enough with my bantering! GOOD NIGHT.

_[This has been revised?] –4.19.13. More improvements shall be done later._


	8. Played a Fool

**A/N: *Twitches* I. Have. UPDATED! And on time for once! Yeeeeah! Thanks for all that motivation! It really got me going! ^-^ Heh, judging from the reviews last chapter, everyone seems to hate the Videl/Marker pairing even more! But no worries guys, I got this! By the way, I'm currently revising the last chapter after persuasion from a friend (Dolaorn), but only certain parts. I'm still figuring out ways to improve it without drastically changing the plot so if you want, go back and read it sometime but be aware that nothing has really changed yet. I'm cereal.**

**Again, SO MANY NEW FACES! \(*o*)/ I LOVE IT. You know how I said you guys popped up like daisies? I lied. NOW you guys popped up like daisies!**

**Sportsfan64: **… *Claps hand over mouth* Shh! Don't give anything away! And I kept my word so READ BOY READ!

**Demonkid: **Phew! Thanks for answering my question! :D Sorry for the slow progress but it will definitely start picking up SOON! x) Thanks for reading! I feel honored that my story has caught your interest!

**Taryn:** I'M SORRY! xD He shall definitely go SOON! In fact, I think you will like the next chapter very much :D Also, I apologize for deleting your review… I just thought that the last comment seemed sorta racist and didn't want some war in the review section 0.o (I would PM you but you're a guest). But I DO appreciate your review, so thank you for that! :)

**shadow12:** Soon my friend, SOON! Thanks for reviewing as usual and understanding! :) And no worries, I will definitely put Marker through pain. :D BWAHAHAHAHAha… ha… I just had an idea. *Stares* Why is it that you always give me ideas? … *high-fives*

**Dolaorn:** As I said, thanks for voicing your thoughts and helping me improve that chapter! It really helps! :)

**SenpaiGabby:** I'm sorry! But no worries, I think you'll _really_ enjoy the next chapter, as well as many others ;) And Gohan will officially get DE-friendzoned SOON! xD Expect some Gh/V progress coming in a short while!

**AbsenceOfTruth:** Oooh, now THAT'S an in-teresting thought… :] *Lightbulb flashes and starts cackling maniacally* As for your question, I honestly have no idea! ,xD Um… no? :D

**KaosMoshpit:** Alrighty then! But he's not her ex yet; they're still going out… but not for long! xD Bwuahah! *Thinks about him punching Marker* … indeed, that is an appealing idea. *nods head approvingly*

**Myranda:** OMG LOLOLOL! That totally set me off! x'D Sorry, I'm easily amused ^-^; Can I use it? :D

**Alice: ***Gasp!* Nooo please don't break your heart! D': I promise you there's more chapters after that prologue, so thanks for reading chapter one! Keep reading and I hope you'll like it :)

**Guest**: You are absolutely right! :D (about predictability).

**PrincessLazyPants:** Thaaaank youuu! Thanks for understanding! :') I was thinking the reasons were getting too unrealistic, so it's nice to know that it's somewhat acceptable to others. And I'm glad you like the slight development of Gh/V! Things will start to pick up from here and progress more, so you can count on finding out more soon! ^-^ Thanks for reviewing again!

** .1656:** YESH I absolutely agree with you! Marker and Videl getting back together is a big no-no! I don't like it either, but thanks for understanding that it's for the plot! ^-^ Hahahaha it seems that everyone wants Gohan to pulverize Marker. I guess I'll just have to comply huh? :) Ooh, my fingers are just itching to—

hehe, and don't worry, Gold Fighter will definitely make some future appearances! :) But that won't happen until much later and YAY! No Saiyaman! xD The costume IS quite… er, interesting… huh? 0.o; *Cough* Anyways, thanks for reviewing and keep tuning in! :)

**2 Lazy 2 log in:** Goodies! I'll try working on that :D I think my schedule will be better in the summer so there will most likely be more updates ^-^ I promise to finish this story and no worries, the Gh/V progress will definitely be picking up! ;D

**Gohandominates:** I'M SORRY HAVE MERCY~! x'D Yes, I know, I'm absolutely nuts for getting them back together! But that's why I think you'll just LOVE the following chapters! :D (yes, get excited).

**Beastmode953:** Wow, thanks for the two reviews and compliments! :D It makes me really happy that you like this so far and yes, I agree, Marker's a prick x3 The whole best friend-girlfriend-boyfriend thing sure is complicated huh? … it just occurred to me how common that was. *Mutters to self* But no worries, Marker will definitely go away soon! And by go away, I mean, he shall never appear again! ^-^ For now, just bear with me ,xD By the way, what's that story's name you speak of?! :D *Feels excited*

**dcp1992:** Your wish is my command! Well, everybody's wish, haha ,xD I'm glad you thought that was interesting! B.U.T. Are you sure about that last comment…? :P *suspenseful voice* Nah, I'm teasing. Of course they'll get together! xD

**Crystale no otaku:** *Sighs in relief* Thanks for answering my question! You were the only one who replied to that one! x) And yeah, I want to have Videl make some mistakes so she can learn from them. After all, she is still a teen like you said, so hopefully, this will go well! ^-^ And as usual, thanks for reviewing!

***Gags out of breath* Ohmergoodness, that took a whole two pages! 0.o; Thank you all again for your support! I really do appreciate it! ^-^**

**Disclaimer: Vaccine shots I'm okay with. But safety pins are absolutely **_**evil**_**, I tell you, EVIL! D'x And DBZ is not mine! **

…**.**

**Chapter 8: Played a Fool**

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Fool me once, shame on me_

_But fool me twice—_

_Shame on __**you**__._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_Flash._

To say that Videl was annoyed was an understatement. The relentless crowd seemed to be closing in, their eyes set firmly on Videl. Yells and hollers melted together from the boisterous group, none clearly audible due to the activity around. She blinked heavily as another blinding flash went off, briefly stunning her eyes. By now, she should have been used to the publicity but never would she get accustomed to the irritating flashes of light assaulting her gaze. Cantankerously, she brought an arm up to shield her eyes as continuous beams fired off in her direction in blinding sequence, scattering spots dancing across her vision.

"Miss Satan! Miss Satan! Would you tell us about your victory today?" a reporter hollered amongst a sea of boisterous cameras. The man shoved his way against other flailing limbs vying for her attention, attempting to fruitlessly shove a microphone up her face.

"Miss Satan!" yelled another reporter, also unsuccessful at getting to the Satan heiress. "How do you feel after defeating the Red Shark Gang yet _again_?" she questioned, pushing against the chain of officers forcing the relentless crowd back. The police huffed in disgruntlement as they resisted the growing spectators, creating a barrier from the desired girl. The mob fought back with equal righteousness, but the stable barrier of police kept them tame enough from coming nearer.

Videl ignored their cries, not letting their pleas and thirst for information get to her. She instead molded on her usual mask of calm and collectiveness, the only emotion on her face confidence. Her chin was proudly held up with pride, shoulders squared and completely dismissing the rowdy crowd. Not a sliver of recognition passed by.

Videl Satan was too good and they were not worth her time; she had better things to do than answer useless questions. Growing up, she had long learned that if she focused her attention onto the media, they would rip her apart. She grew up learning never to give them a glance unless necessary and she preferred it that way. More publicity was not something she needed added to her plate; she had much more important matters to attend to.

No, Videl Satan had better things to do than listen to them. Videl Satan had to go to school.

"Sorry about that, Chief," Videl said apologetically, addressing her leader. Her steely eyes lingered on the reporters, twitching in irritation. The aging man looked down at Videl kindly, understanding in his eyes. He still held himself with noble boldness, a trait he had acquired over the years.

"No problem Videl," he gruffed good naturedly, the more quiet man eying the ever-growing crowd. "Just worry about getting back to class. We can handle this."

Videl nodded, eager to comply. After a silent nod of gratitude, she turned on her heel, pigtails whipping behind her. Her capsulized copter opened with a pop, and she began easing into the leather seats, ignoring the protesting uproar it created as well as the fusillade of blinding flashes that followed it. Videl quickly sought hold of the controls and soon enough, the wind picking up died down the yelling. In no time, it wasn't even detectable.

Once safely airborne, Videl slumped heavily in her seat, rubbing her temples in small, soothing circles. Usually, crime scenes wouldn't be this busy. But ever since she had defeated the Red Shark Gang last week, the gang seemed to be rioting. Throughout the week, there would be sudden outbreaks of criminal activity and each time, Videl was repeatedly called out of class to help assist the police. So far, she had encountered no trouble dispatching them, defeating them with relative ease. She generally came out unscratched, the most a nasty bruise or so. The crimes they did were among the norm, the occasional bank robbery, hijacking a bus, making speedy getaways on trucks.

With the police, she was able to defeat them quickly and consistently, their numbers gradually dwindling as well as their activities dying down. Still, they had to keep their guard up, for a crime can happen at any time during the day. Who knows what that notorious gang was planning? For all she knew, they could be scheming something big. Whatever it was, she had to be ready. The people's safety came first. It was taxing, exhausting work to be called on the job so suddenly, but it was nothing she couldn't handle and well worth it the results.

Videl was their hero, their hope. There was no way she could let them down, the people who turned to her for safety.

Unfortunately, it also brought even _more_ unwanted fame to her plate. The frequency in crimes also escalated the curiosity of the media, something Videl was_ not_ fond of. Nowadays, after stopping another crime from progressing, the media would hound her down, loaded with their microphones and questions to shoot off. Did they not know of the term, _lay off?_

But, she mused, if it was to protect the people, Videl would give up her own comfort any day if meant they were safe.

Videl allowed the rigidity in her shoulders to deflate, assuaged to be rid of the prying eyes of reporters. In the safety of the sky, she steered towards Orange Star High, cringing as it dawned on her that she had missed a majority of lunch. Videl was an athlete and needed energy to keep her functioning throughout the day. She needed food. But still, the fresh crisp afternoon air did help to clear her mind.

Her thoughts wandered astray to the events of last week, specifically, her boyfriend. Ever since 'that' incident and Videl giving him another chance, Marker had made sure to keep her as happy as possible. He would shower her with his attention whenever he could, dropping off sweet little gifts in between classes they didn't share together. They usually consisted of little bouquets of flowers and occasionally, stuffed animals. There were also little notes attached to those gifts, usually with things like, _"I luv u babe" _and _"4 my #1."_

It was corny and sweet, yes, but Videl was starting to resent those. The gifts were cute and sweet—that is, if she were some love-stricken little girl. Giving her one gift was enough to satisfy her but repeatedly giving her a dozen each day? Let's just say that Videl had only so much space she could shove into her locker. Those gifts were becoming more of a nuisance than a present. She secretly debated whether she should start throwing them in the trash, or leaving it somewhere and make some unfortunate girl's day.

And plus, she hated pink. Videl shuddered at the thought of Erasa and her wardrobe adventures.

Gross.

Although the gifts had started out sweet enough, Videl couldn't help but think the least Marker could have done was fix his atrocious spelling. If he wanted to win her affections, showering her with presents _all the time_ was not the way to go. She wasn't that type of woman, the one who relied on gifts to make her happy. Besides, it wasn't _that_ hard to spell a few simple words correctly.

Perhaps it was selfish of her to want more from him—he _did_ think of her after all. Still, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. If Marker liked her enough, couldn't he have shown bigger effort in what he did, that didn't just consist of gifts?

But it _was_ something, Videl supposed, as opposed to having him completely ignore her like before with he and Sharpner's thumb wars. And how many guys would go around leaving presents and spoiling their girlfriends?

That didn't mean things were still normal between them though.

Memories of that night still haunted her, the emotions and feelings of being utterly useless and weak. Whenever he came in contact with her, such as enveloping her into a hug, Videl would tense up, memories of 'that' night flooding back to her. In a rush, those images would invade her mind and it was like she was reliving it again, the night that destroyed everything. She could still feel his steel, harsh grip on her palms, the alcohol heavy in his drunken breath and her pleas falling deaf on his ears.

Whenever those moments hit her, Videl would awkwardly shrug Marker away, muttering unintelligible things under her breath and creating distance between each other. In those moments, she needed space, needed air to breathe. Marker would comply and leave her be for a short while, but she knew that it bothered him. His darkened expression said it all.

She wanted those to go away, but it wasn't exactly on her mind's agenda. Despite all his affections, Videl still couldn't bring herself to properly return them. The memory of him straddling her useless still burned in her mind, clear as a winter day. If it was one thing Videl hated, it was being rendered helpless.

She could see the hurt in his eyes at her rejection, but over the days, it gradually accumulated to annoyance. Videl could tell that Marker was trying to hold back his irritation (who would want to be ignored?), but once in a while, he would slip up and storm away.

As for her friends, they couldn't be more than happy to see him go whenever he did. Erasa had shown the least change towards Marker, still acknowledging his presence. But it wasn't in her usual, talkative or friendly nature. Instead, she would either tune him out and speak to Videl only, but if he asked her a question, she would turn her cool, emerald gaze and answer briefly before turning back to ignore him. Videl could detect the sharpness in her tone as well as flickers of anger residing in her depths. She could tell she was only tolerating Marker for her sake.

Sharpner had taken a more aggressive approach, refusing to partake in anymore thumb wars with Marker. Occasionally, he would purposefully bump his way through him if they crossed in the hallways, causing Marker to stumble. Other times he would retort snide remarks at him, but usually settled for death glaring. It was the typical, expected behavior of Sharpner.

But the person who stuck Videl the most, in her opinion, was Gohan. Her best friend was normal enough, but whenever he was in Marker's presence, the sunny smile he always wore would dim, the shine in his eyes filtering. A rigid, tense air would engulf the group, both men eying one another warily. Ever since their near-brawl in the hallway, electricity slit the air between the two males, the temperature seemingly dropping to subzero. There was an unspoken bitterness between them and needless to say, Videl went out of her way to keep both men as far away from each other as possible.

It was especially awkward though, whenever first period rolled around. Due to her misfortune, Videl was wedged between the two, Gohan on her left and Marker on her right. It was suffocating, the tension building between them. She believed that the only thing keeping Marker from ripping Gohan's head off was because she was there to stop him.

In general, Gohan still acted friendly enough, but the vibe he radiated seemed unfitting, darker than the usual air he gave off. Whenever he thought she wasn't looking, she would catch him glance in Marker's way, the corners of his lips twitching downwards before recovering back into a painted, happy expression.

But Videl wasn't fooled. She wasn't naive enough as to think that all her best friends didn't harbor a strong resentment towards her boyfriend, especially after 'that' day. The only reason why they were tolerating him was for her sake, in respect of her decision. Although Erasa and Gohan were willing to be more tolerant, she could still see it in their eyes though, whenever they looked at the two. Disappointment, doubt, uncertainty, anger… she saw it all, reflected in their eyes. The days were admittedly getting drearier.

But one thing Videl was grateful for was that no one else knew. It was a miracle that the media didn't find out about that incident; if they did, it would be horrendous. No longer would Videl be revered as the city's hero. No longer would she be viewed as strong and courageous, the symbol of justice. No, she would be considered a weak girl who screwed up, just like those before her who she used to criticize and slander. She would rather swallow her pride than to be made a victim.

The clouds dispersed around her as she descended from the sky, high winds dying as the blades of her copter slackened from the slowing speed. The large hovercraft landed with a heavy thump on top of the school roof, sending swirls of dust and leaves to scatter in all directions.

Videl hopped out her jetcopter, feeling the stability of cement beneath her feet as she inhaled the fresh air. From beneath her, students milled around, activity undisturbed as lunch progressed. Glancing at her watch, she cursed. There was less than ten minutes left of lunch, hardly enough time for her to eat unless she hurried and ate fast. She wasn't really up for another day of awkwardly eating with the crew, but Videl needed food. Hurriedly, Videl descended the stairs, deciding against getting a tardy pass. Class hadn't started yet anyways, even if she had missed a majority of the period. They knew where she was.

Instead of taking her usual route, she sped the opposite direction towards the lockers, thinking of her lunch that laid untouched there. Videl's stomach growled and her feet sped up into a blur. There were only seven minutes left.

As Videl's feet skidded around a corner, she took note of the world around her. The hallways were eerily silent, devoid of its usual activity. A majority of the student population were either in the cafeteria or outside basking in the generous weather. Her feet slowed to a stop in front of her locker, spreading on the tips of her toes as she reached for the lock. The turning and clicks she wove echoed loudly throughout the hallways, bouncing off the walls. It sounded painfully obvious in the eerie silence.

With a satisfying click, Videl felt the lock give way beneath her fingers, vibrating as the tiny door opened with a _pop!_ She was about to reach in for her bag when a slight movement caught her attention. It was scarcely noticeable, just a mere shadow, but she caught the movement almost instantly. The shape it casted disappeared as soon as it manifested and Videl tilted her head to the side, tracing her gaze until it settled on a dark classroom, just in front of the window. She recognized it as the class she was going to when lunch ended.

Shrugging, Videl brushed the thought away. There was probably some teacher in there, doing paperwork or something, she mused. It wasn't uncommon for teachers to loiter around grading assignments. Now with her lunch in hand, Videl began her journey down the corridor before she heard it again—a slight shuffling.

Now alert, Videl back stepped a few times, her gaze falling back on the dark classroom. Inside no light shined through, the blinds closing off the interior view of the window. She lingered there in her spot for a moment, perking her ears for any trace of sound. She could vaguely make out muffles, now identified as hushed speaking.

Curiosity burning in the back of her mind, Videl gripped her lunch, stealthily creeping up against the door. Part of her berated that what she was about to do was childish, that whatever going on inside there was none of her business. But the detective inside her begged for her to find out, Videl's natural need for information drowning thoughts of reason.

Inquisitively, Videl pressed herself up against the wall, making sure to keep herself hidden. She felt somewhat naughty doing this, but ever the rebelling teen, she expertly slid further towards the window, stopping just to peer inside. Now close enough in hearing range, she could make out hushed whispers, obviously of two people talking. Curiosity buzzing through her veins, Videl leaned against the window, feeling the cold, slick glass slide beneath her fingers as she inched her face closer. The tip of her nose barely scratched the surface and her breath clouded up her view.

Wiping the fog away with her sleeve, she squinted through the blinds, eyes adjusting to the dimmed lighting of the darkened room. From her angle, she could only see a crack through, barely able to make out the shadows of shapes from within. But what she could see though, were two figures inside, both sitting within close proximity to each other. They blended with the shadows, throwing her perception off and distorting their figures. One was noticeably larger than the other and if Videl listened intently, she could make out their voices—one male and the other female.

Pressing her ear against the door, Videl listened. The girl let out a flirtatious giggle at something the man said, who chortled in sync. With a start, Videl recognized that laugh. It was one she recognized, and one she was not particularly fond of. No laugh was as annoying as that one, nor as high-pitched and grinding against her ears. Videl hated that voice with a passion, and unfortunately, she knew it well. With a sour face, she watched as their figures molded into one, mustering out noises that sounded like smacking and pleasure.

Videl abruptly shot her head back, inching away from the door. A look of disgust and distaste mirrored her face as her nose wrinkled. Without a doubt, Videl knew exactly what was going on in there and it was something she was not interest in. Losing her initial streak of curiosity, Videl stretched, rising to her feet, ready to leave.

Whatever Angela was doing in there with her new boy toy, she did not want to be a part of.

She was about to leave that revolting scene behind her until a deep, familiar voice halted her in her tracks. Videl's ears jolted—she knew that voice too. Forgetting about her problems with the tomato, Videl scrambled back to the door, shoving her ear against the wooden blockage. The deep voice spilled from within and she could hear only scraps of their conversation.

"… got her right where… doesn't suspect… soon… just a little longer…"

Doesn't suspect what? And what about time? The voice sounded so familiar, but was uttered so quietly and smugly that it was hard for her to identify. She knew that voice from somewhere, but she couldn't put her thumb on it. Videl strained to hear more, trying to capture remnants of the man's words. It sounded achingly familiar, that deep, husky tone and she restrained from slamming the door open. She needed to know more about what was going on inside there.

There was another giggle, without a doubt Angela. She couldn't hear anything that she said, but as Videl squinted through the darkness, she could make out that mound of curly hair. Her back was now facing Videl so she couldn't see the man, but it was obvious that their activities were more than just friendly. Angela sunk back into her seat, moaning pleasurably as her fingers toyed with what Videl supposed was his hair.

She could only make out the strong outline of his jaw as well as a few layers of supposedly dark brown hair. Videl squinted harder, drinking in the figure. The more she stared, the more he looked like…

Her fingers hovered above the door knob before fastening itself on top of the cool, smooth metal. Slowly, she tilted the handle slightly, not a trickle of sound selling her out. Slowly, the door gradually began to creak open—

A grinding screech assaulted her eardrums and Videl abruptly dropped her lunch, yelping in surprise as she let go of the knob and clutched her ears in agony. The screeching sliced through her ears, echoing whispers of the horrific sound. Students spilled out of their classes and from lunch and soon, the empty hallways were now rapidly filling up with people. Videl found herself swallowed amidst the swarm of students and she frantically scrambled to get her bearings, mind distorted from the ringing of the school bell.

She snatched up her bagged lunch from the mercy of feet before scrambling back to the window, trying to get a last glimpse of the two people inside. The light was now switched on and students had already quickly filed into the classroom, blending in as they mingled. There was no sign or clue of the two being there before.

Videl inwardly cursed—she was _so_ close to finding out who the mystery guy was! She missed valuable information as well as discovering what were they talking about! Now, it wasn't Videl's business at what was going on, but the male's voice sounded so familiar… and she had an irrational hunch that somehow, she had involved herself into suspicious activity. Perhaps it was just an 'innocent' session she walked into but still, her detective nature kicked it, manifesting the worst case scenarios (with reason, of course). She stood there at the entrance for a while longer, lost in her thoughts as she silently brooded over her failure.

That was probably why, as usual, she didn't see Erasa creeping up behind her.

"VIDEL!" the said blonde cheered gleefully, glomping on her from behind. Videl jumped with a tiny shriek, broken from her thoughts. People passing by turned to stare.

"Erasa!" she yelled, whirling around to face her. "Don't do that!" Of course, the blonde ignored her, instead grinning mischievously with a playful gleam in her eyes.

"You're finally back! And in one piece!" Erasa proclaimed cheerily, examining her friend. Once she deduced that there was not a scratch on her, she began launching in her stories of the latest gossip milling around.

"You wouldn't _believe_ how boring it's been without you here today Vi!" she whined, towing Videl along into the classroom. "I mean, I have no one to talk to because Sharpner was busy staying after for class, Gohan was too busy eating to pay attention to me, and you were out beating up baddies!"

"What was Sharpner doing after class?" Videl asked absently, sweeping her gaze around the room, eyes inspecting every detail. Her mind was still on alert for any sign or indication of what she had witnessed. Everything seemed normal enough, with early comers filing their way in or mingling with friends, but still, Videl stayed attentive. Both girls strode up to their seats in the back of the room, ascending the steps as they brushed past people.

"The teacher had him catch up on his math homework since he was falling behind," Erasa pouted, obviously not happy with the idea of her boyfriend being taken away from her. From the bottom corner of the room, Videl saw Angela already seated at her desk, snottily chatting it away with her group as she applied lipstick to her plump lips. Her eyes narrowed icily on her, thinking back to what she had witnessed minutes before. Without a doubt, it was definitely Angela who was in the room earlier. She couldn't mistaken that hair from anywhere.

"Any idea where he is now?" Videl continued to question, eyes never leaving the tomato's poufy, volumized hair. She reluctantly drew her gaze back to Erasa, to indicate that she was still listening.

"He should be on his way," Erasa replied, glancing impatiently towards the doorway. Her heels made little clicking sounds as they tapped up the staircase. "Like, his class isn't that far from here."

Videl nodded curtly, about to reply until she saw that their seats were occupied by familiar, friendly faces. Gohan sat in his usual seat at the end of the table, his hand propping up his chin while the other held a thick, complicated book. His onyx eyes were focused, glued to the page as he flipped one over with swift grace, seeming very engrossed in what he was reading. The scene would have been a typical sight that greeted the girls since Gohan usually had his nose stuck in some book. But the only thing that marred the sight was one minor abnormality.

Marker was sitting there too.

Now, there was nothing wrong with Marker _being_ there. After all, it is his seat. But the only aspect that made this scenario aberrational was because he was there _early._ Marker usually never came to class until the bell rang, barely passing the line before sentenced to tardiness. It was either Videl and the rest of the gang who arrived first, then Marker (save for Gohan since the boy ran late very often, besides after lunch. She still didn't understand the logic behind that).

Both men had Videl's seat creating a rift between them of course, but the air surrounding them was thicker than any thunderstorm can brew. If there was any signs of resentment present elsewhere, Gohan didn't show it, instead keeping his face calm and cool, completely oblivious to the person next to him as he delved further into his fiction. He flipped the page again, this time licking his thumb to turn the text. He then adjusted the hem of his shirt, his usual vest absent from his attire besides the OSH badge that lay rooted above his chest.

Marker, on the other hand, was the stark opposite. The expression on his face was worrisome; it was twisted and sour and seemed to be glaring at nothing in particular. The caramel tint in his eyes were marred from his brows bluntly slanted too far down, his lips pursed in a slight frown. His jaw was set in a hard line and arms folded arrogantly across his broad chest, leaning backwards so that his shoulders nearly touched the wall. Every few seconds he would throw Gohan a dirty look and in response, Gohan just simply turned the page, serving to somehow fuel his anger even more.

Videl sighed heavily, already grown accustomed to this. "Here we go again," she muttered under her breath. Erasa gave her a sympathetic look. "Hey Gohan, hey Marker," Videl addressed as she approached. Upon hearing her voice, both males glanced up from their current occupation (in Marker's case, glaring) and grinned. For some reason, there was some sort of pink substance on the corner of Marker's lips, but Videl assumed he just something he ate.

"Hey Vi," Marker said, scooting over so that Videl could sit. Videl forced a small smile, wiping away the pink. He froze under her touch but Videl merely went around to sit in her seat. Erasa had gone to retrieve Sharpner, who had just arrived at the door.

"Hello Videl," Gohan replied, sending her a warm smile, his onyx eyes light and comforting. He turned the page of his book again before patting the seat next to him. "Come on and sit. How did the crime fighting go?" he inquired. Videl obliged, situating herself between both men.

"It was hectic as usual," Videl groaned, slumping in her chair. "There were more reporters than usual and gang activity has been rising. I swear, they're gonna be the death of me someday," Videl joked. Marker leaned on the edge of his chair, always interested to listen to how Videl's crime fighting went. His eyes twinkled with mischief, the way they did whenever they talked about fighting.

"Naw, I'm sure you'll do just fine," he said. "Beat a lot of crooks today?" he inquired, focusing all his attention on her. He wrapped an arm around Videl's waist, tugging her closer. From the corner of her eye, she felt Gohan's gaze linger steadily on her. She shuddered at his touch, the rate of her heart rising somewhat—and it wasn't the good kind either.

"Obviously," she replied awkwardly, instinctively shrugging out of Marker's hold. His smile faltered for a second before recovering. Gohan's gaze lifted. He loosened his arm from around her, letting it retreat to his sides. "It wasn't that hard. They just pulled another bank robbery and luckily, no one was hurt."

Videl gingerly rubbed her elbow, where she had earlier bashed a goon in the face. The skin was starting to bruise but it wasn't anything serious she was going to fawn over. She'd had worse. Besides, the goon paid dearly for the price of his nose, she thought humorously.

Gohan took notice of her brief discomfort and his thick brows furrowed in concern. "You know, you shouldn't overwork yourself Videl," he said, examining her face. He was a few feet away from her nose, staring intensely as he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "You look tired."

For some reason, Videl felt a flush rising up her face, for a moment getting lost in the depths of his concerned orbs. She shivered somewhat at his touch, feeling the disappointing absence of warmth as it retreated back to his sides. Her pulse, she vaguely noted, began to rise and Videl swallowed, searching her mind to remember trying to open her mouth to retort that she was fine. But Marker beat her to it.

"She's fine, Nerd-Boy. Vi here loves fighting, so why would she need to rest when she's doing something she loves?" Marker drawled, draping an arm over her shoulder, flicking Gohan's hand away. She tensed but forced herself not to move away this time, although his comment pricked at her conscience, flaring some anger. She appreciated that Gohan was caring enough to be concerned over her health, something people didn't often do, and although Marker right about one thing (she did love fighting), her health was important too.

A little concern would be nice.

"I'd love to rest, but the safety of others is more important," Videl replied, ignoring Marker's comment. She grinned a little at Gohan, who returned the gesture. "But thanks for worrying."

"You work too hard," Gohan concluded, focused solely on Videl, completely dismissing Marker's miffed glare. He was about to speak more until Marker's voice cut him off.

"How would _you_ know about hard work, Nerd-Boy?" he remarked snidely with an arrogant flick of his hair. Videl shot a look in Marker's direction, warning for him to stop. But still, he continued. "Of course, you wouldn't know since you're always stuck in a book like the nerd you are." Videl felt anger start to rise in her explosive temper. Why did he have to always have to slander Gohan when he meant no harm?

"Marker, will you just _shut up_?" Videl snapped, struggling to bite back the sudden infusion of anger, feeling the need to defend her friend. "Gohan's not a nerd, he's just smart. So will you just leave your half-assed comments to yourself?" Marker pulled back with a stunned expression on his face, as if Videl had just stung him, that Videl would back up her _friend_ as opposed to her _boyfriend_. Quickly, that shock turned to annoyance and gradually, morphed to a pissed-off look. Marker's lips opened to form words but it was his turn to be cut off by, to Videl's surprise, Gohan.

"Actually, it's quite all right, Videl," Gohan stated coolly, momentarily lowering his book on the desk. His back straightened as he stared directly into Marker's eyes with shocking calm and a certain touch of deadliness residing within them. "And Marker," he addressed stoically, "How would you know what I'm capable of? In fact, if you read more, you might learn a thing or two in that brain of yours. Actually, how would _I_ know? After all, I doubt _you're_ capable of hard work either."

Videl blinked in surprise in Gohan's direction. Since the time they met, she had expected him to cower or keep silent in the presence of being bullied while _she_ did the talking, but never did it strike her that he would ever _talk back_. Huh. Maybe her supposed 'weak' friend wasn't as defenseless as she had thought. For some reason, it amused her and Videl bit back a smile in attempt not to offend Marker, but still, Gohan caught it and winked, a certain childish gleam glowing in his eyes.

Before Marker could make a snarky retort, the bell had rung, indicating that class has started as the teacher waltzed into the room. Gohan succinctly turned away, closing his book with a loud slam in Marker's face. Their contemptuous argument was now left hanging in the air, the last word belonging to Gohan.

From the side, Videl caught Erasa's eyes, emerald sparkling with mischief. _'Burn,'_ she mouthed before turning away and giggling to herself.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

"Wait up. I need to talk to you."

Angela froze, her heels clicking to a stop as they halted on the hard pavement. A mound of red, poufy hair pivoted around, her amber eyes meeting her cerulean gaze. She paled a bit and her plucked eyebrows shot up before lowering back down. Last period had just ended and the school was quickly emptying, buses dispersing along with the roaring sequence of cars. The day was still young although it was getting close to sundown.

"Sorry, but I have places I got to go, sweetie," Angela drawled smoothly, her high-pitched voice grinding as ever. Still, she heard the slight squeak in tone, and to Videl, that made all the difference in the world. She smirked knowingly to herself. Intimidation was her best card and Angela—oh, she would taste the receiving end of it.

Videl stalked up to Angela, blocking her attempt of escape as she confronted her, mirroring her movements. "I _said_," Videl stressed, her eyes narrowing. "We need to talk."

"Look," Angela said, attempting to brush past Videl, who in turn stepped in front of her. "I need to go somewhere and this 'talk' can happen later." At that moment, Videl seized her arm, planting her firmly in place. She was not going anywhere and Videl meant business.

"Look," Videl mimicked, voice low and serious. "I don't care how 'busy' you are, but I need to talk to you. It's either you or me, and I'm not backing down. You're choice." The options were clear. Her tone implied that it was either she complied willingly or get dragged kicking and screaming. Angela continued to stare at Videl, surprisingly without falter, but anger gave her away. After a minute passed of each girl glaring in an intense showdown, Angela finally sighed, nodding slowly.

"Fine," she hissed, yanking her arm away. Videl allowed her grip to break free, knowing that she had already won. Angela was not going anywhere. "Whatever it is you want to talk about, make it quick! I don't have time for the likes of you!" she snapped and Videl rolled her eyes. Touché.

"I rather not waste time either, so let's get to the point," Videl stated blandly. When it came to interrogation she preferred getting straight to the point instead of dillydallying. "Who was he?" she questioned, not straying her gaze away from Angela. Wow, did she cut to the chase. "Who was that guy you were talking to in the room earlier?"

Angela jerked her head back in shock before scowling. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I be in a room with a guy?" She looked truly offended and Videl resisted the urge to roll her eyes, knowing that she was not as innocent as she tried to appear.

"Please," Videl scoffed, "You and I both know that you're bull-shitting yourself. Who. Was. That. Guy?" she pressed threateningly. They were now backed into the lockers. Her eyes narrowed. "You're not in some league with a criminal organization are you?"

Now Angela looked truly shocked. "What?! You're crazy!" she yelled and judging by her expression, Videl deducted that that was pretty out there. Her reaction definitely showed that now illegal activity was present. After all, Videl had _very _good perception and judgment and anyone could tell that she was not acting. "I may be a guy magnet but there is no way I would ever do that! Gross!"

Yup. Definitely not criminal material. But still, it didn't mean Videl didn't enjoy toying with her. After all, she had a score to settle.

"Okay then," Videl nodded approvingly, but now that she knew that Angela was in the safe, she was still curious as to who that guy was. His voice sounded so familiar and Videl felt like she should know him… and knowledge was something Videl could never have enough of. "So who was that guy?" she continued to press.

"Why do you want to know?" Angela shot back.

"So you admit that you were with a guy?" Videl countered.

"That's none of your business."

"I asked first."

"Like I said, not your business."

"Look, just make this easy for the both of us and tell me who he was," Videl sighed, growing tired of running around in circles. Angela was adamant, stubbornly shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"No," she snapped, flipping her vast amount of hair. "What's it to you anyway?" Videl narrowed her eyes, stalking up closer to Angela. Now her back was pressed against the lockers and she squirmed, uncomfortable under Videl's scrutiny. Videl knew that she had her right where she wanted her to, and that any moment now, she would break and fess up.

But before she could pull the last string, she registered a sharp clacking of heels barreling down the hallways. Both girls looked up and found themselves looking straight up into the wrinkly, baggy face of an old woman, her pointy, accented nose, and sharp, purple glasses. Her thin lips were pursed in disapproval and she stamped a pink slip on Videl's forehead. Specks of spit flew in her direction as her mouth opened to form words.

"_Detention!"_

… shit.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

Videl furiously stampeded her way out the detention quarters, seething in silence. Two hours had passed since she confronted Angela and that was two hours too long that allowed her to wallow in anger. It apparently wasn't the wisest thing to yell back at the patronizing old lady, which contributed _another_ hour instead of the original one. One of the unique things that Videl prided herself in was her speech. She never knew when to hold her tongue.

She stormed out the door, scornfully stomping her feet as she went. Those remaining who passed by steered clear of the rampaging girl, fearful of her wrath. Videl ignored them, too wrapped in her own thoughts to care. She was baffled by the unfairness of it all.

"You know, you have a pretty scary expression when you're mad," a deep voice said matter-of-factly from behind. Videl stopped in her tracks, her anger only escalating. She whirled around in blind fury, her eyes smoldering with fire as she sought out the voice that dare speak to her on she was in a sour mood. She was not in the mood to get downgraded by some guy.

"Shut up, jerk!" she snarled, about to get into the stranger's face. But before she could, her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she peered at the familiar face of Gohan, who was gazing down amusedly at her. His lips twitched in attempt not to laugh.

"Temper, Videl, temper," Gohan chuckled, somewhat easing Videl's anger. In her confusion, she got a grip on her emotions, inhaling deeply to calm down. Once she had collected herself, she crossed her arms, frowning in embarrassment at being caught in such a childish rampage. Videl felt mollified.

She and Gohan were the only few who remained standing within the school, everyone else already left for home. The said boy seemed somewhat tired, his usually bright and wide eyelids drooping from sleep. His posture sagged a little as opposed to his straight and balanced stance Videl had grown used to seeing and his books were clutched to his sides.

"What are you doing here, Gohan?" Videl inquired with a huff, her cheeks tinted from both anger and humiliation. At that, _Gohan's_ face flushed and he glanced away meekly, chuckling as he rubbed his back sheepishly.

"Um, it's actually quite a funny story," he said with a shy and disdainful expression.

Videl cocked her brow, now recovered from her humility. "I'm listening."

"So you see, I was late for class," Gohan started and Videl nodded in return, knowing full well about his notorious attendance. In fact, other than his intelligence, that was the other thing Gohan was infamous for around school. Not only was he the king of brains, he was the king of tardiness as well. It was a miracle that he kept getting away with it. "Well today," he said, grin broadening sheepishly. "I was late and, uh, kind of got in trouble for it."

Silence hung heavily in the air and Videl regarded her friend skeptically, move agape. For a few seconds, she stared incredulously in Gohan's eyes, which crinkled kindly back. Finally, he blinked and unable to keep it in any longer, she bursted out laughing. She keeled over, clutching her stomach in hysterics as a tear rolled down her eye. It shouldn't have been that funny, but oh, the thought of goody-goody two shoes, straight-A student Gohan getting a detention was golden.

"Hey! It's not _that_ funny!" Gohan defended, but the smile he wore betrayed him.

"Are you kidding me?" Videl heaved, trying to get her wits together. She shook her head in disbelief. "So basically you got a detention for being late and the teacher finally got you for it?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, feigning thought. "…yes?" he said innocently. Videl shook her head again, her laughing reduced to chuckles.

"That was long overdue Gohan," she commented and she felt her earlier soiled mood lift and lighten.

"Anyways," Gohan said abruptly, changing the subject. "Why are you here?"

"We're on the same boat, buddy," Videl retorted, eye twitching as a small portion of her anger returned. She didn't want a reminder of exactly_ why_ or _who_ got her in detention. "Ms. Phail caught me, uh, 'chatting' with someone and look where that landed me." This time, it was Gohan's turn to laugh, although it was much more civil than Videl's.

"What did you do _this_ time?" Gohan inquired, laughing. He raised a brow in her direction.

"It wasn't _my _fault!" Videl grumbled indignantly. "I was just interrogating an unfortunate soul for the better good of the world!" Well, that was only partially correct. She supposed her tactics _were_ rather uncalled for, but Videl liked to think that Angela deserved some scaring after what happened with the drinks. She hadn't forgotten about _that_, and she was generous enough to let her get away with it for this long. Karma was a bitch.

"Suuure," Gohan said, obviously not believing her. "Exactly what made this for the 'better good of the world?'" he inquired with a playful nudge. Videl felt the beginnings of a smile tug at the end of her lips as she allowed herself to follow him out the doors.

"Nothing you would understand," Videl remarked jokingly, smugly folding her arms and feigning arrogance. They exited the building, the doors swinging behind them as she let go of the handle bars.

"Are you sure about that? Is that a challenge, Videl Satan?" Gohan grinned, following her out. The sun was gradually setting, splashing orange rays across the horizon and a warm draft passed by them, swaying their hair in the direction of the breeze.

"Maybe, if you're willing to take it on," Videl remarked with a sly grin. Gohan turned his head in her direction, eyes twinkling. For the second time that day, Videl found herself getting lost into his eyes again. For a second, she couldn't remember what they were talking about, remnants of their conversation fading in the back of her mind and the world began to slow in a blur of colors around them, and sound began to quiet. All she saw in those brief moments were his eyes, the obsidian pools showing a clear reflection of herself within them.

"Try me," he simply stated, breaking Videl out of her reverie and movement returned to the world. Videl blinked, registering his comment as she floundered in her mind on what to respond with. However, before she could speak, a flicker of movement caught her eye and her gaze turned in direction of it.

What she saw made her body go rigid and Videl's steps slowed to a stop. Her eyes widened and the light mood she was in vanished—the air turned noticeably colder. Gohan, sensing the change in mood, shifted his gaze in the direction of where she was looking, all traces of laughter and humor on his face now replaced with vigilance. He, too, slowed to a stop, just a few steps in front of Videl, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Both stood there in silence, silently observing the scene play a few meters out in front of them. A boy with chestnut brown hair was grinning as he leaned in, stealing a quick kiss from a girl with striking red hair that cascaded down her shoulders. They were hidden within the shadows of the trees, poorly so, caught up in their games but the last lights of day revealed the girl's arms encircled around the boy's neck, pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. He made no move to stop her, instead deepening them, his fingers entangled in her locks.

Videl stood there stunned, eyes unblinking. Waves of emotions drowned out her thoughts, yet numbed them at the same time. The world seemed as if someone hit the pause button, all sound disabled from synchronizing. In the background, she vaguely registered Gohan urging her name, prodding her to turn the other direction. But it was too late, she had already seen. She continued to watch in silence, eyes never straying from the two.

"So earlier, she actually _confronted_ me about it," the girl mumbled between kisses. "Sweetie, we've got to be more careful about this. She's already suspicious enough as it is, and I don't want word getting out about us."

"You worry too much, Ange," the boy murmured breathlessly, trailing kisses down her neck. "Relax, she won't discover a thing. I already told you this earlier, didn't I?" The girl pulled back, teasingly grazing her fingers across his lips. She smirked seductively.

"I know, but she nearly made me break a nail, Marker, a _nail_," Angela whined, showing him her hands. He grabbed it and kissed it tenderly, causing a flirtatious giggle to emit from her throat.

"Nothing to worry about," he chuckled, lips seeking out hers.

"Marker, I'm tired of waiting. How much longer do I have to pretend for? After all, I want you to be mine," Angela giggled, nibbling his earlobe. He sighed with pleasure, shivering at her touch.

"Soon, Ange, I promise. You know you're the only one for me. I'm just using her, remember?" At that, Videl felt shock jolt through her and slowly, slowly the world came alive again. His words stung, everything that she thought he was was a lie. Gohan was now pulling her back, her feet had started moving on its own.

"My dream is to become a famous martial artist, and the only way to do that is to get closer to her father. She has all the connections I need," Marker continued, chortling as he captured Angela's lips in his own. She giggled, lacing her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer.

Now, Videl was close enough to make out their hiding spot, poorly chosen behind a young oak tree, bare from shedding its leaves for the fall. Their bodies were molded together, Marker's on top of Angela's, and each seemed oblivious to her nearing presence. Watching them, Marker's words rang through her ears, louder and clearer as she drew closer, and she obliquely felt tears stinging at the edges of her eyes.

"_You know, no lady should be left alone in the pouring rain, no matter who she is…"_

Betrayal.

The first emotion hit her hard, a burning sensation scorching down her throat. Harsh, acrimonious betrayal, betrayal for the one she thought she liked, only to learn that she was a pawn, a pawn meant for his games. Betrayal that all those memories they shared, their laughter, their stolen kisses, everything… everything was a lie. Whatever little something she thought she found in him—it was all a lie. Those times when he stared at her like she was the only one in the world—they all accounted to nothing. She was nothing more than a pawn to him, only a leverage to raise him in the ranks.

_She __looked up, peering into the handsome stranger's face. His caramel eyes smiled down at her, sparkling like cider, a stark contrast opposed to the dull, pounding rain. A large coat enveloped his figure, buttoned to where the ends of his fingers reached, dry and untouched by water. A few messy locks of hair fell over his face, barely brushing past his sharp, angled brows. The boy's grinned broadened, his hand still outstretched for Videl to take it, protected under the safety of his umbrella._

Anguish.

It slapped her in the face, biting and cutting deep. She felt anguish for the loss of something she thought she shared, a special bond meant for only two people. It was missing, that feeling of finally being wanted, of finally finding someone who accepted and loved her for her. He was the only person to reach out a hand and pull her out of the depths of loneliness when she was at her lowest. She felt a dying anguish ravish in her; leaving her empty and alone.

_She regarded the boy skeptically, unfazed by his charming attire and looks. She made no move to take his hand, instead staring impassively into his eyes, unimpressed. Flicking a dripping strand of hair out of her face, Videl felt some heat rising to her face, although she concealed it well. She realized how revealing she must have looked, with her thin, dinky white T-shirt clinging to all angles of her body. In attempt of modesty, she crossed her arms with a huff, glaring._

_"What do you know?" she snapped, fire burning in the depths of her eyes. "I'm no lady, not even close."_

But worst of all, she felt disappointment. Disappointment for believing his lies, allowing herself to be played a fool for so long. Disappointment for foolishly giving him another chance, over and over again, when in the end, it was so painfully obvious. He didn't truly love her. He was just using her.

And she was a fool for ever believing that they ever had something real.

Now, Videl was only a yard away from them, and she felt all those infusion of pent-up emotions, all that harsh, bitter anger rage inside her. She acted out of fury, betrayal, hurt, and anguish. They blinded her and all Videl wanted to do was hurt him, inflict pain on him as he had on her. She wanted him to feel the same pain that she was suffering right now and she wanted nothing more for him but to _feel hurt._

_His grin faltered momentarily before he recovered. This time, his hand fell back against his sides, but still, he held the umbrella above her head, shielding her from the assault of rain._

"_A lovely girl like you, not a lady?" he asked, feigning shock. "You may not think yourself as one, but to me, you're just fine the way you are."_

Strength and energy transferred from her shoulders to the end of her fingers, curling up into a ball of power. She fluidly pulled her arm back in its familiar sequence, anger fueling her strength. The world gradually began to speed up, her surroundings sharpening, sounds buzzing to life, the buzzing of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She watched as a punch connected with the side of his face, watched as his eyes—the eyes that she used to love—widen in surprise and morph into shock.

But it wasn't her who launched that punch.

The world sped up once again and Videl came to her senses, registering his fallen form on the ground, clutching his bruised cheek in agony. Gohan loomed over him, seizing him by the collar, yelling in tones of absolute _fury._

"_How dare you!"_ he yelled in a shocking, earth-shattering voice. He threw him to the floor and Videl took notice of a slight wind gathering around Gohan, as if the earth's rage was wailing with him. The trees and branches swayed away from him, leaves uncontrollably circling around his form. She hardly heard the shrieks of Angela to stop, too shocked at the revelation that _Gohan had punched Marker._

He continued to advance on him, who lay writhing in the dirt. There was a certain intensity in his eyes, his onyx depths seemed lighter than Videl had ever seen them; they were almost glowing. Videl felt her anger die away, replaced with awe fixated on her friend. It seemed like Gohan was on verge of killing him.

Something inside Videl caused her to move. In a flash, she found herself standing beside Gohan, gripping him from behind. She didn't know what she said or did to make him stop, but he eventually turned around. His gaze fell on her, softening and the wind died down. His eyes returned to their usual, mysterious dark color and the rage molded on his face melted.

Maybe it was Videl's stricken expression that made him stop. Whatever it was, it caused him to regain control and Gohan sobered up, expression downcast and somewhat shameful.

The next events were a blur; she could only remember being led like a child away from the scene, leaving Angela in hysterics aiding the injured Marker. Videl allowed herself to be led away, wanting—no, needing—to leave the past behind, the hurt.

She blocked everything out.

Gohan took her silently on a path, holding her hand all along the way. They didn't exchange a word, only wallowing in a heavy silence. Videl didn't notice; her gaze was kept downcast for the entire way, a bitter emptiness marring her usual lively eyes. The only thing she remembered was him squeezing her hand, sending comforting warmth up her fingers.

"_You really think so?" she asked incredulously. The boy grinned warmly back at her, stretching out his hand again. Hesitantly, she took it, allowing him to pull her up to her feet._

They eventually stopped in front of a tall, looming building, piled stories high with a gate sealing off the outside. Videl stared dully up at the mansion, not moving to go inside. Instead, she slowly stood to face Gohan, who had not spoken a word, just simply standing there patiently, being there for her. His onyx gaze met hers sullenly, sadness and concern residing in his depths. He tried to smile, but it held no humor, instead just limping back down ruefully.

They didn't speak for moments longer, until Videl threw her arms around him, needing the warmth of someone who cared. He was the few she knew that was left who truly did care for her, and for the longest time, she yearned for someone to just _be there._ Gohan didn't say anything, simply returning the embrace, both friends silently exchanging comfort.

She had no idea how long they stood like that, but nor did she care. All she knew was that she still had someone on her side. As the sun gradually began to set, Gohan finally spoke, his voice a mere whisper.

"Do you want me to stay?" It was a simple statement, not needing to ask meaningless questions like if she were all right. Videl shook her head, breaking away from their embrace.

"It's fine..." Her voice was scarcely uttered, but still, Gohan nodded. Videl sighed, inhaling a deep, shaky breath. "I just… need time to myself," she continued. She broke away and released her hand that she realized was still clutching his. He made no movement to argue, nodding in understanding.

With that, Videl slowly turned around, creaking the gates open. She shot one last look in Gohan's direction, trying to smile, but failing miserably. "Thank you… Gohan," she murmured before opening the door to her house.

"Always," she heard him whisper before she closed the door. Videl silently made her way up to her room, her only sanctuary for solitude. The house was empty, quiet. From the other side of the hall, she could hear Hercule's snoring, the champ unaware of the state his daughter was in. Videl silently crept to his door, peering in the dark room. She watched his broad chest rise and fall before she closed it. Her dad couldn't know.

Videl trudged back to the direction of her room, her feet dragging and gaze downcast. Dark hair fell in front of her face, concealing it. She finally edged herself into her room, silent, empty, and untouched from that morning. Closing the door with a small click, Videl leaned against the wooden frame, slowly sinking to her knees. Her eyes stared straight ahead, unblinking, unmoving.

"_Without a doubt." _

_He continued to hold her hand, kissing the top of it tenderly. His eyes sparkled. "Videl Satan, I'm sure we'll be getting along just fine." His lips lingered there for a while longer, causing her heart to speed up._

Her feet gave way beneath her, and the beginning of tears stung at the corner of her eyes as the suffocating loneliness caved in around her.

"_I'm Marker Notepad. Pleased to meet you."_

And for the first time in years, Videl Satan cried.

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

_I wished he meant it when he kissed me_

'_Cause then I could look back and see someone who loved me_

_But I can only come back to see_

_Someone who used me._

- ͦ ̊'´־¤»-¦-«¤־`̊ ͦ -

**A/N: *Blinks* … that came out more differently than I thought. Sorry if this chapter felt a little rushed! I wanted to update before the week ended and have been typing away like crazy. Hope this came out fine! :) And I've got part of the next chapter done already, so we'll see how fast I can go ^-^ My goal is to update as many weeks in a row until I crash and burn! … don't ask.**

**But hey, on the bright side, WE DON'T HAVE TO READ ANYMORE VIDEL/MARKER CRAP! xD Yay yay yay yay yay! We'll be getting to that Gh/V goodness I promised y'all! And did I mention Marker torture? I know you'll love that! Care to share any crazy things you want to see happen? ;D I've got ideas, but feel free to PM me or if you're a guest, review it. Let your imagination run wild! I'll make sure to listen! (I will be available to reply to PMs tomorrow even though it's a school day because it's my birthday :D So basically, I can use the internet x3 )**

**Well! I'm off to do homework! (*_*); Man, I really need to stop procrastinating.**


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